The Kenshingumi goes to America
by Seien
Summary: Kaoru gets a letter in the mail from a childhood friend, inviting her and the gang to America! Lots of adventure, silliness, and romance! K/K, M/S, M/A
1. The letter

Howdy Every one! This is my first attempt at a Rurouni Kenshin fan fic, so please be patient ^.^ I'll just get on with the story, since there's really nothing to say. ^.^ Oh yes, Feel free to e-mail me ideas you would like to see put to work in this story! You can e-mail me at Seien@attbi.com. Ja!  
  
This story takes place in modern day Japan (and America). So yes, the dojo does get mail.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters from it, and I forgot the person's name who does. ^-^' Don't hurt me!!! *cowers in a corner*  
  
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Kaoru wiped tiny beads of prespiration from her forehead. She was just sitting on the porch of the Kamiya dojo, not engaged in any physical activities, yet she was still sweating. This had to be the hottest summer she had ever been alive to witness. There wasn't even a trace of one heaven sent breeze in the air.  
  
She kept a watchful eye on Kenshin, who was in the yard doing laundry. She didn't want him getting into trouble like last time he had done laundry. He had "accidentally" used instant potato flakes instead of powdered laundry detergent. Of course, that was partly Yahiko's fault. He had switched the two boxes while Kenshin wasn't looking. And worse yet, when Kenshin was pouring in the so called "detergent", the rest of the top of the box opened, spilling all of it's contents into the water. Yahiko had been punished though, Kaoru took the liberty of assigning him to clean the whole dojo. But Kenshin could have at least read the box before putting any in in the first place.  
  
Kaoru rolled her eyes and smiled. Kenshin could be so cute sometimes. She remembered his confused face as the water in the laundry bucket turned into a meal for eight, and his baffled "Oro!?"  
  
A sound at the gate shook Kaoru out of her reverie. It was the mail man.  
  
"Konnichiwa Ms Kaoru!" the mail man called.  
  
"Konnichiwa Shinju!" She returned.  
  
He opened the gate and made his way up to Kaoru.  
  
"Looks like you've got mail from the states. Thought you'd want it." He said, handing her the mail.  
  
"Oh, really? Thanks!" She said, sifting through all of the envelopes.  
  
"Well, I'd better get going. I've got a lot of mail to deliver yet." He said, waving and walking off.  
  
Kaoru put all of the junk mail in a neat pile, and was left with one last envelope. She looked it over. There was no return address, and the stamp was a tulip with the small letters "USA" in the corner.  
  
She reluctantly opened the envelope and read the letter. Her eyes grew big and a grin found it's way to her face.  
  
"Kenshin!" She called excitedly. He rushed over.  
  
"What happened Kaoru-dono?!" He asked, worried she had gotten hurt or some such thing had happened.  
  
"Read this!" She said, thrusting the paper into his hands.  
  
"Dear Kaoru,  
  
How are you? It's been awhile, hasn't it? It's me, Tougi! Our families were really close long ago. Well, I'm sure you remember that, don't you? Well, I'm writing because Mother, Father, and I would all love to see you again. It was really hard leaving you behind in Japan. Why don't you come to America to visit us? Bring a few of your friends too! I've included six tickets in the envelope you're holding, so you don't have to worry about the cost.  
  
Now about the details. Your flight is leaving June 20, at 8 AM sharp. When your plane lands, I'll be at the airport in Illinois to pick you and your friends up. I'd like for you to stay for at least a month, so pack appropriately. We'll probably go a few places when you're here too. You don't need to worry about money. Father is the head of one of the most successful corporations in the whole United States. It's all on us. Well, I guess that takes care of everything. I hope to see you there!  
  
~Tougi"  
  
"Wow. Today is June 16. You'll have to hurry, that you will." Kenshin said, his eyes as big as saucers.  
  
Kaoru smiled. "We. We have to hurry. I'd like you to go with me."  
  
Kenshin blushed and smiled back, "I'd be honored, that I would."  
  
"Good, let's go tell Sano and Yahiko!" She said.  
  
"Tell us what?" Sanosuke asked. Yahiko stood beside him, looking questioningly at Kaoru.  
  
"You guys are going to America with us!"  
  
Sanosuke rolled his eyes. "I'm serious. Tell us what?"  
  
"I'm serious too! Read for your self!" Kaoru flung the letter at him. He read it and grinned.  
  
"That's so cool! I always wanted to go to America!" Yahiko exclaimed.  
  
For the first time in his life, Sanosuke was speechless. But it wouldn't last long.  
  
"We're leaving in three days, so pack your things." Kaoru told them.  
  
"That soon!?" Yahiko asked.  
  
"Yes, why, is there a problem?" She asked.  
  
"Yes! Tsubame is sick with the flu. I don't think she'll be well by then. I told Tae I'd help out with the Akabeko (AN: forgive me if I misspelled that... ^.^)!" He said.  
  
"I'm sure she can find some one else." Kaoru assured him.  
  
"No but... I want..." He blushed. "I want to stay with Tsubame until she's better."  
  
"So you're going to miss out on America for your girlfriend?!" Sanosuke asked, wondering if he was out of his mind.  
  
"She's not my girlfriend..." he lowered his voice, "yet.. And yes, I'm staying here."  
  
"Who will you stay with Yahiko?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"I'll stay with Tae. She won't mind."  
  
"You're sure?" Kaoru asked.  
  
Yahiko hesitated. "...Yes, I'm sure."  
  
"Who else will we invite then?" Kaoru wondered.  
  
"YOO HOO! KAORU! KENSHIN!" A cheerful voice called as it's owner entered the gate.  
  
"Misao!? Aoshi!? What are you guys doing here?" Kaoru asked them.  
  
"We're visiting." Misao said, grinning from ear to ear. Aoshi stayed silent, with the usual emotionless expression fixed on his face.  
  
"Oh. Well, while you're here... How would you like to go to America with us?"  
  
"America!? Really!? I'd love to!? For how long?"  
  
"A month. Or maybe longer." Kaoru answered.  
  
"Awesome! Can we go Aoshi-Sama!? Please please please please please!?!?!?" Misao asked him, folding her hands together and making a puppy dog face.  
  
If one was watching very closely, one could see his eyes soften just a bit, and the corners of his mouth slightly turn up for a split second. But it was gone as fast as it had come, replaced with his icy gaze once again.  
  
"If you wish." He replied, pretending to focus on something outside of the gate.  
  
"Yay!" She gave him a hug and danced around happily.  
  
"We leave in three days, so make sure you have your things." Kaoru said.  
  
"Ai ai captain!" She said, saluting Kaoru and proceeded to literally drag Aoshi out of the gate.  
  
They all sweat dropped.  
  
"She sure is a little bundle of energy..." Sanosuke remarked.  
  
Kaoru raised an eyebrow. One more person to invite... Who would it be? A light bulb flashed in her head.  
  
"I'm going down to the clinic guys, I'll be back." She said, hurrying past.  
  
"You're not gonna-"  
  
"Can it, rooster head!"  
  
Sanosuke sighed as he watched Kaoru hurry out the gate. "If she invites that woman, I swear...."  
  
************  
  
"I can't believe you invited her..." Sanosuke complained.  
  
"If I knew YOU were going, I would have said no!" Megumi snapped.  
  
It was June 20, and they were on the plane, headed for Chicago, Illinois.  
  
"Give it a rest you two. You're going to have to learn to get along with eachother sooner or later." Kaoru stepped in, not wanting to hear them arguing for the entire way there.  
  
"I pick later." Sanosuke and Megumi said in unison. They growled at eachother.  
  
"Aoshi-Sama, look at the clouds! Aren't they so pretty!?" Misao said, pointing out the window.  
  
"Pretty." Aoshi repeated in no particular tone, watching her eyes light up at every thing that delighted her. She didn't notice.  
  
Kenshin sighed. He wondered about Kaoru's friend, Tougi. Could he be trusted? Did he have any thing other than friendship in store for her? No. Kenshin chided himself. He shouldn't judge. And he shouldn't think that way. After all, Kaoru wasn't really his. Although, he did have feelings for her. He wasn't sure he could live if she was with another man. She was the first thing he thought of when he woke up in the morning, and the last thing he thought of before falling asleep at night. At first he had tried to deny his feelings, thinking they would only endanger her. But it was so hard. She kept popping into his mind. The more he tried to push her out, the more she found her way back in.  
  
He shook his head. He would tell her. As soon as the timing was right, he would profess his love to her. He nodded. But what if she didn't feel the same? What if she only loved him as a brother? He sighed. He couldn't wait to get to America. He suddenly felt tired.  
  
Kaoru heard him sigh. "Is something wrong kenshin?" She asked.  
  
"No Miss Kaoru, I just feel tired, that's all." He said, plastering his rurouni smile on his face.  
  
Kaoru smiled back. He was so cute. She had fallen in love with him the first day she saw him. She couldn't really say it was the first moment, because at that point in time she had thought he was the guy who was going around insulting her father and the Kamiya dojo. But after she found out, she allowed herself to see everything she had over looked before. But she probably didn't have any chance. Kenshin was nice to every one. And he never showed any signs of interest. Maybe she was too tomboyish... But it wasn't really her fault she was like that. Her father taught her Kendo and all sorts of other things that a girl might not participate in. She just didn't like being 'girly'. Well, don't get her wrong, she did like to dress up in kimonos and other girl things once in a while, she just didn't feel the need to cake on layers of make up and do her nails and what not. It was unimportant.  
  
She turned her attention to the clouds floating past. It was going to be a long flight.  
  
**********  
  
*Click* Kaoru looked up to see the "seat belt" lights turn on. She fastened her seatbelt and clutched the arm rests as the plane landed. When they had stopped moving, she looked out the window and was relieved to see that nothing had gone wrong. She had heard a lot of bad things about planes.  
  
"You may now take off your seat belts. We hope you enjoyed your flight and thank you for flying American Airlines." The stewardess said over the intercom.  
  
Kaoru took off her seat belt and motioned for everyone in the group to follow her.  
  
"Every one grab a hold of some one so no one gets lost." Misao said, taking Aoshi's hand without hesitation. Aoshi almost smiled, but held back. He liked the feeling he got whenever she touched him. Her hand was soft and warm, and so small compared to his. He gave her hand a small squeeze, which caused her to blush and look up at him with a shy smile.  
  
Kenshin gently took Kaoru's arm in his to make sure neither of them would get seperated in the large crowd as Misao had suggested. As soon as he touched her a shock went down his spine, and little did he know, hers too. Kaoru's cheeks turned a light shade of pink.  
  
Megumi rolled her eyes and grabbed a fist full of Sanosuke's hair.  
  
"OUCH!" Sanosuke protested. "Let go of my hair!"  
  
"Well they didn't say I had to hold your hand." She said, grinning mischeviously.  
  
"Let go you- YEEEOOOOWWW!" Megumi pulled him along after her, still holding onto his hair.  
  
They all went and picked up their luggage and searched for Tougi.  
  
"I think we're going in circles." Megumi pointed out.  
  
"I don't exactly remember what he looks like..." Kaoru said, grinning sheepishly.  
  
Every one sweatdropped.  
  
"WHADDYA MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE!?!?" Sanosuke exploded.  
  
"Kaoru, is that you?"  
  
Kaoru turned around and came face to face with a young man that had black hair and forest green eyes. He towered a full 8 inches above her.  
  
"Tougi!" She exclaimed, giving him a hug. "You've certainly grown."  
  
Tougi smiled and hugged her back. "You've grown too. The cute little girl I used to adore has grown into a beautiful woman!" He exclaimed, laughing.  
  
Kaoru blushed.  
  
"These are your friends, correct? Welcome to America! We can all get aquainted later, for now we should get out of here. Right this way, the limo is waiting outside." Tougi said, steering them all towards the door. He was holding her arm, Kenshin noticed. So much for the buddy system. Kenshin frowned and mentally smacked himself. She didn't always have to be around him, yet he couldn't help feeling a small pang of jealousy. He sighed and followed after the group.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~  
  
So how is it so far? Good? Needs more work? I was really bored with the first part, it was really tough to start it out, but everything seemed to fall into place after that. ^.^ Please review and tell me what you think! Also, don't hesitate to give me ideas of what they can do while they are in America! Thanks for reading and hope you stick around for more! Ja!  
  
~Seien  
  
"Oro" - Kenshin's trademark way of saying "Huh?" or "eh?"  
  
"Konnichiwa" - Good afternoon.  
  
"-dono" - A suffix added for respect. Basically "Miss Kaoru" 


	2. The mansion, and surprise at the mall

Howdy! I'm back again! Heh ^-^' I realize the last chapter probably wasn't so good, so I'm going to try and write better. I guess I was just being lazy, or maybe I'm out of practice. o.O Anyway... For those of you who are wondering, "Oro" Means something like "Huh?" or "Eh?" I personally think of it as something along the lines of "sweatdrops". Anyway... I was going to post a Japanese translation at the end of the chapter, but I forgot... I hope I remember this time. Okay, well, on with the story.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters, but my birthday is coming up, so I was hoping....  
  
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"America is so amazing!" Kaoru exclaimed, looking out the window of the limo.  
  
"Yes, it is indeed. I hope you know at least a small amount of English." Tougi said.  
  
"Well, I learned a little bit from my father before he died. It's just a matter of remembering it." Kaoru explained.  
  
"If you would like, I could help you relearn the basics..." His voice trailed off as he found himself staring into her Cerulean blue eyes. She blushed and quickly looked out the window.  
  
"That would be great." She muttered, almost inaudible.  
  
"Aoshi-sama look!" Misao was pointing at a restuarant. "Look over there!" She exclaimed, this time referring to a statue of an indian. "Would ya look at that!" This time it was a guy with a blue mohawk, which happened to be spiked and at least 6 inches long. He was wearing all leather, with little metal spikes around his neck and wrists.  
  
Misao's eyes were huge.  
  
"That's America for you." Tougi chuckled. "All sorts of weird people like that."  
  
"I think it's cool!" Sanosuke said, grinning. "I should try that!"  
  
Every one ignored him, choosing not to take him seriously. In a matter of minutes, they were all lost in their own thoughts, which is the state they were in as they drove up to the mansion.  
  
"Your house!" Kaoru exclaimed. "It's huge!" It was unlike any other house she had ever seen. It was made of wood and brown brick. It was at least three stories high, and had at least 16 windows in front. They had an enormous porch complete with a porch swing (An: Gotta have one of those ^.^). There were all sorts of flowers planted in the front yard. Lilacs, Roses, and Morning Glories were climbing up the posts supporting the roof over the porch.  
  
"Yes. Like I said in my letter, my dad's company is one of the most successful in America. We'll give you all money to spend while you are here." Tougi said, matter-of-factly. "Bring all of your things and I'll show you to your rooms.  
  
They traveled through the mansion for what seemed like a half an hour before they came to a stop in a well lighted corridor. There were six doors with each of their names on them.  
  
"I'm sure you can find your way from here." Tougi teased. "There are maps of the mansion in each one of your rooms so you don't get lost. Supper will be at five, and you have until then to unpack and freshen up. See you at five." He winked at Kaoru and disappeared around a corner.  
  
Kaoru blushed and headed for the door with her name on it. She opened it and immediately gasped. It was as big as the whole dojo! The floor was covered in the most beautiful light blue carpeting, and the walls were painted light blue with flowers here and there. The curtains were indigo, as was the bedspread. She ventured to a door that said "Bathroom" and opened it. It was bigger than her room in the dojo! She was standing on indigo marble tiles, and the sink was indigo marble also. There were mirrors EVERYWHERE. Even on the back of the door, so that when the door was closed, you couldn't see any of the walls. The mirrors were the walls! (AN:I've actually been in a bathroom like this. ^.^) There was a spa in the corner, and there was a shower complete with bath tub on the far wall. And then, of course, there next to the shower was "the john" or "the lou."  
  
She walked to yet another door that said "Closet". She opened it and her eyes got huge. It was one of those walk in closets! And it was as big as the limo had been! She immediately got to work hanging up the clothes that she brought, and putting all her toiletries in the proper places. After that she hopped into the shower, wanting to rid herself of the travel dust. After about 15 minutes, she got out and dried off. She walked into her closet, and searched for something to wear.  
  
"Hmmm..." She looked thoughtfully at each garment. She finally picked out her favorite kimono, colored brightly with yellow and orange. She put it on and tied her obi, then chose her body spray fragrance. She always liked having an assortment so she didn't smell like the same old flower every day. Today she chose "Wild Blossom". She sprayed it on, then put on clear lip gloss. And after all that, she tied her hair up with a ribbon and was out the door, map in hand.  
  
She didn't have much trouble finding the dining hall. It was only a few turns away from her corridor. She arrived there at about 4:50. Tougi was already there.  
  
"Please, take a seat." He said, smiling. "We shall have to get you new clothes... You can't run around in America like that if you don't want to draw attention." He said with a wink.  
  
She smiled and did as she had been told.  
  
"So what's been up with you since I left Japan?" He asked.  
  
"Well... Father and Mother passed away... So now I own the Kamiya dojo. I have one student named Yahiko. He had to stay in Japan because his friend was sick. And then there's Kenshin, a rurouni that I invited to stay at my dojo... He saved me from a rather unpleasant situation... So he stays with us now. And Sanosuke is a brawler we happened to pick up somewhere along the way... He doesn't officially live with us, but he might as well... He's always at the dojo. Megumi is a doctor we saved from an evil man named Kanryu (AN: I think that's how it's spelled..), and Misao is some one Kenshin met on his way to Kyoto. And Aoshi.. Well... Let's just say he's a friend that used to be an enemy." Kaoru finished.  
  
"I see. Sounds like you've been busy. So have you married yet?" He asked.  
  
"M-married? No!" She stuttered.  
  
"Well that's a surprise... I figured a beautiful woman such as yourself would be married by now."  
  
Kaoru blushed.  
  
"If I hadn't moved from Japan I would have asked you by now." He said thoughtfully.  
  
Kaoru blushed even more. Should she tell him her heart was already taken?  
  
Just then, the rest of the gang walked in and took their respective seats. The cooks came out with the food.  
  
"Shall we eat?" Tougi asked, although it was more like a statement.  
  
***********  
  
As promised, after dinner they all went to buy new clothes at a local mall.  
  
"Look at this one Misao! This would be perfect for you!" Kaoru said as she picked up a blue tank top.  
  
"Oh wow! That's great! I'll try it on!" She said, adding it to her collection.  
  
Kaoru picked out a pair of hip hugging flares and decided to try them on. She also picked out a few other things (AN: I would say about ten items in all... ^.^) and tried them on in the fitting room.  
  
Megumi looked at the selection of clothes with a peeved look on her face.  
  
"What's the matter Megumi?" Misao asked.  
  
"They don't have this in red..." She muttered and stalked off to the dressing room as well. Misao followed.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Kenshin had found quite a few interesting things to wear. Baggy name brand jeans, carpenter jeans, khaki cargos, and a few boyish shirts. They looked like something a teenager would wear, rather than a 28 year old.  
  
No one had seen Sanosuke.... And as for Aoshi... Well... He had found things along the line of what Kenshin had found, and only got them because Tougi finally convinced him Misao would think they were cute. A voice came over the intercom.  
  
"Closing time is in five minutes, closing time is in five minutes. Any one who is still in the store will be locked in."  
  
The kenshin gumi seemed not to notice. They took their sweet time, picking out a few more things. In four minutes time, they were at the cashier, who was ringing up their purchases.  
  
She finished, and gave Tougi the reciept when they heard a voice on the intercom. "It is now closing time. I repeat, it is now closing time. Please get out of the building now!" They all looked at eachother and ran towards the doors, practically flying into them. Just before they hit, the voice said, "Doors now locked."  
  
They all hit the doors with a *CRASH* and slid down the glass, leaving marks on the window. The lights shut off.  
  
"Misao! You're sitting on me!"  
  
"Who hit me?!"  
  
"I lost a contact lens!"  
  
"Hey! Stop it!"  
  
"Get off!"  
  
"Oro!"  
  
They all managed to get themselves together.  
  
"G-guys.... There's something.... m-m-moving over there!" Kaoru said as she pointed. The street lights outside casted eerie shadows over the store. Sure enough, there was a figure moving stealthily towards them in the darkness.  
  
"Kenshin, do you have your sakabatou?!" Whispered Megumi.  
  
"Of course not! I can't just bring a sword into a place like this, that I can't!" He whispered back.  
  
"I have my bokken. Misao, do you have your Kunai?" Asked Kaoru.  
  
"Sure do!" Misao replied, ready for action. "Let's go!"  
  
The two of them broke out from the rest of the group and charged.  
  
"TAKE THIS!" Misao yelled, throwing her kunai at the figure. The figure dodged.  
  
"HAAAAA!" Yelled Kaoru, taking a flying leap and bringing her bokken down to hit the person or thing over the head.  
  
"AARHH!" The figure roared as it was hit over the head. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?!?!"  
  
Every one froze.  
  
"Sano!?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Of COURSE it's me! Who did you think it was, the boogie man!?" He growled, rubbing the sore spot on his head.  
  
Steam came out of Kaoru's ears.  
  
"YOU BAKA!" She said, repeatedly bringing her bokken down to hit him on the head as he ran around, trying to get out of reach. "BAKA JA-KU!!! DON'T SCARE US LIKE THAT!" She finally stopped. Sanosuke had bumps all over his head.  
  
"Does any one have any Aleeve?" He asked, rubbing his head gingerly. "What are you all doing sitting there anyway!?"  
  
"We're locked in stupid." Megumi snapped.  
  
"Why didn't you just say so?" Sanosuke asked. He aimed right for where the lock was and punched. The doors flew open as an alarm went off.  
  
"What's that!?" Asked Misao.  
  
"The alarm. For robbers." Tougi replied.  
  
They ran for the limo and clambered in. "Drive!" Tougi commanded, and the driver stepped on the gas.  
  
They made it home without trouble, and amazingly enough, with all of their purchases.  
  
"America is crazy." Megumi decided. "Locking people in stores...."  
  
"Not all stores do that. Most check to see if people are inside, if not, that's when they lock up." Tougi stated. "Why don't you all go to bed. It's been a hectic night."  
  
Every one agreed and went to their separate rooms. Just as Kaoru was leaving, Tougi caught her wrist.  
  
"Ever since I left Japan, I couldn't get you out of my mind! And you haven't really changed at all. Or at least not your personality. I missed you so much!" He confessed.  
  
Kenshin growled. He had started going to his room when he realized that Kaoru wasn't there. He turned back, only to stumble upon their conversation. He stalked back up to his room, not wanting to hear any more.  
  
"Oh." Kaoru mumbled. She gently pried herself out of his grip. "Good night Tougi." She said, slipping up to her room quietly. She changed into her night clothes and got into bed.  
  
Now what would she do? This was all so confusing. She loved Kenshin, but he might not feel the same. And if he did, he would most likely never admit it. She sighed and drifted off into sleep, her last thought of Kenshin.  
  
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Sorry if it was kinda short, but I have to clean my room and I figured I'd let you read this while I do so. It'll take a while, believe me -.- I want to thank every one for their reviews and support ^.^ I'll try to have the next chapter out soon.  
  
Akayia - Thanks! I'm glad you like it! Oprah... lol... I don't watch it, so I'd doubt I'd put the poor kenshin gumi up to handle that. ^.^ Thanks for the idea, about the amusement park. I'll put it to use, I dunno how soon I'll be able to work it in though. It'll probably be Six Flags, since I dunno much about any other amusement park. ^.^  
  
Shilvigrl/Amyjenc1 - I'm glad you think so ^.^ Hope ya keep reading! ^.~  
  
Yume - Thanks ^.^ Is this soon enough? ^-^ I hope to have another chapter out by tomorrow... (I hope! ^.^)  
  
irksome one - Thanks for the encouragement! ^.^ I also tried another Kenshin fanfic, but I couldn't start it out. I was too bored. ^_^ I'll keep writing for as long as I can. Hope to see your reviews in the future. ^-^  
  
Miya Reino - Thank you ^-^ Yes, Kenshin in still the same rurouni ex- Battousai. I know it's in modern times, but I couldn't bear to leave that out (Since they'll be doing wacky swordsmanship in this fic ^.^), so please just use your imagination ^_^ Besides, in Fanfics, anything can happen! MUAHAHAHA! And thanks for the suggestion! I'll put it to work as soon as possible! Fun writing? Oh yes... Of course! Hahahaha! This is my first semi- humor fic I've done. I usually do romance. ^.^ But who ever said one couldn't do Humor and Romance? No one! Muahahahaha!  
  
Princess of Darkness and me - Thanks. ^.^ I said it up there ^ in the beginning, but I'll say it again incase you didn't read that part. "Oro" is Kenshin's way of saying "Huh!?" or "Eh!?" It's kinda like sweat dropping. When he's confused, surprised, ect. ^.^ Hope ya keep reading!  
  
Until the next chapter! Ja! ~Seien 


	3. Expensive figurines and a strange but ho...

Hiya! I'm back with yet another chapter. I got my room cleaned. I'm so happy now! I don't have to stumble over things to get to my bed. ^.^ And I found my yearbook. My brother just decided to borrow it. -.- Weirdo... Anyway. Here goes another chapter of "The Kenshingumi goes to America". I was going to give it a better name, but my mind went blank. . Anyway, enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters, although I do own Tougi. Then again, I'm not so sure I want him if I make him into a crazed lunatic. j/k. I'll put him up for auction or something...  
  
For those of you who are wondering about the Japanese I used in the last chapter...  
  
Baka - Stupid  
  
Ja-ku - Jerk  
  
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Kaoru yawned as sunlight streamed through the window and played about her face. She rubbed the last bit of sleep from her eyes and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, sitting up. She yawned again as she got up and brushed out her hair. She got into the shower for her usual 15 minutes and got out, and changed into a navy blue tank top with the words "Bum Equip." across the front in off white and bronze letters. She also put a pair of regular blue, hip hugging flare jeans (AN: Yes, these are the same pair from the previous day).  
  
She then made her way to the dining hall for breakfast. On the way she bumped into Kenshin. Literally.  
  
"Oh, sorry Kenshin, I didn't see you." She said with a smile.  
  
"It's quite alright Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said, avoiding her gaze.  
  
"Is something wrong?" She asked.  
  
"No, nothing." Kenshin said.  
  
"Oh. You're going to breakfast right?" She asked, recieving a nod. "Oh, well me too. We can go together."  
  
Normally Kenshin would have jumped at the chance, but he couldn't forget what he overheard the previous night. Had she professed her love to him as well? Or did she refuse it? He should have stayed to hear more... But eavesdropping wasn't right. It had kept him awake almost all night. He had finally drifted off to sleep around one in the morning.  
  
Kaoru sensed his hesitation. Had she done something wrong? Did she offend him in some way? He didn't seem like his normal self this morning. Could he have over heard Tougi talking to her? No way. She shook that thought from her head. Kenshin didn't listen in on private conversations. He just wasn't like that. Kaoru dejectedly slid past him and continued on her way to breakfast.  
  
Kenshin's heart shattered. He had not missed the look on Kaoru's face as she passed. Maybe, just maybe she did have feelings for him. But then what about last night? Kenshin swallowed his hurt and pride and called after her.  
  
"Kaoru-dono!"  
  
She turned and faced him.  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"I'll go with you!" He said, catching up to her. He was rewarded with a smile.  
  
When they got to the dining hall, every one else was already there. They took their seats just as the cooks came out with the food.  
  
"Good morning Kaoru." Tougi said.  
  
"Good morning Tougi." Kaoru replied evenly.  
  
"Like I was saying... You can all go and do what ever you want. Money and transportation will be provided. If you're unsure of what to do, I'd be happy to suggest a few things." He informed them.  
  
"Thanks, but we've got a few things planned." Misao said, glancing around at every one else.  
  
They ate their breakfast in silence. Well... All except Sanosuke and Megumi's bickering.  
  
"I thought roosters were suppose to wake people up in the morning, not keep them up ALL night because of their LOUD SNORING!" Megumi hissed.  
  
"What's that suppose to mean!? You wanna piece of me!?" Sanosuke stood up.  
  
"I could hear you right through the wall."  
  
"Well then get ear plugs. It's not like I can help it!"  
  
"Three words for you. Breathe. Right. Strips."  
  
"Hmph. Funny, I always thought a fat and lazy fox could sleep through every thing."  
  
Megumi froze. Fat? Lazy? Was she really fat!? She looked down at her attire, a red sleeveless shirt and a pair of short shorts. She studied her legs carefully. It did look like she could loose some weight... Did he really think that? Why should she care anyway? She hated his guts. Didn't she?  
  
Sanosuke watched as Megumi looked down at herself after his last comment. He wanted to take it back, but it was too late. He didn't really mean it, he thought she had a perfect body. He watched as she frowned and ate in silence. That comment would come back to haunt him later...  
  
They all finished breakfast and made final preparations for their day. They all met in the lobby.  
  
"So where are you guys going?" Tougi asked.  
  
"We're going shopping!" Misao said, pointing a finger in the air dramatically.  
  
"I see... Mind if I tag along?" He asked.  
  
Misao looked at Kaoru, who was hesitant. "Sure..." She managed.  
  
"Great. I know a lot of good places." He grinned.  
  
"Ok, let's go then." Megumi said impatiently.  
  
"We have to wait for -"  
  
"SANO!?!" Every one exclaimed in unison, shocked at the sight before them.  
  
"I told you I was gonna try it." He said, grinning from ear to ear. He was wearing a leather jacket with metal spikes around the neck, wrists, and along the bottom. It was left unzipped, exposing a black muscle t-shirt with the red words "Punk" across the chest. His pants were of a black jean material, except VERY baggy, with a red stripe going down either side along the seam. His hair was in the usual style, except it looked like he had used hair gel. The tips of his spikes were red, and he had an earring in one ear (AN: The correct ear. He's not gay people. ^.^). He was also wearing a pair of sunglasses, and was still wearing his red bandana.  
  
Every ones' mouths were hanging open.  
  
"Of course I do look better than that other guy." This earned him a smack from Megumi.  
  
"You crazy, vain weirdo! You're late, now let's go!" She said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him towards the limo. Every one else followed.  
  
Once inside the limo, Megumi stole a glance at him. She had to admit, it was a good look for him. Especially with his brawler history. She smiled to herself, shaking her head. He was a goofball.  
  
Misao looked up at Aoshi, who hadn't spoken a word that morning. Then again, that wasn't unusual. She wished he would open up and talk to her already. Did she annoy him? Maybe he didn't like her... Tears welled up in her eyes and threatened to spill over onto her cheeks, but she managed to keep them in check. She couldn't bear that thought... She loved him with all of her heart... Him and only him. But he was just as cold and silent as ever. What did he think about her? Although, he had been somewhat nice to her, which was a plus. But would he ever open up to her and allow her to love him?  
  
They arrived at their destination: a long street filled with small shops.  
  
"Kawaii!" Misao cried.  
  
"Hai!" Kaoru agreed.  
  
Aoshi rolled his eyes. Girls were weird...  
  
They all got out of the limo and Misao immediately dragged Aoshi to a shop with a lot of collectibles.  
  
Sanosuke looked rather out of place in this particular setting, but Megumi decided to tolerate him anyway. She followed Misao, pulling him along.  
  
Kaoru looked at Kenshin. Kenshin gave her a rurouni smile and followed the rest of the group. Kaoru sighed and looked around the busy street. She loved watching people. It was so fun to watch them and try to figure out what made them who they were today. Some one bumped into her, knocking her down.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Said a rich masculine voice, helping her up.  
  
"It's ok." She said, giving him one of her sincere brilliant smiles. She looked up into his face. Wow!  
  
Blonde hair hung over his blue eyes in the front, and the rest was spiked, giving him a sort of Enishi effect. He had a VERY nice build, and was wearing baggy blue jeans and a grey t-shirt.  
  
Their eyes met. His eyes were so intense! She could get lost in them... His lips moved... He was speaking... She shook herself out of her trance and listened.  
  
"...Walking and I didn't watch where I was going. But I'm glad because I just bumped into the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." His voice trailed off, as he watched her lips intently.  
  
Kaoru noticed where his gaze was fixed and blushed. "I.."  
  
"Seija come ON!" Yelled a feminine voice.  
  
"That's my sister." He said, rolling his eyes. "Maybe I'll see you again... I'll be in Chicago this afternoon, if you're there, here's where I'll be." He said, writing an address and handing it to her. She reluctantly took it.  
  
Just then a girl looking to be about 11 stepped out of a crowd and yanked him away.  
  
"Bye..." He was still looking back at Kaoru, and continued to do so until they got out of sight.  
  
Amazingly enough she had managed to understand everything he said. She shook her head and walked into the store Misao had gone into.  
  
*******In the store*******  
  
"Look at this Aoshi! It must be made of crystal!" Misao squealed excitedly. "And this is pure diamond!"  
  
They were looking at a shelf of uniquely carved gemstones. Figurines of animals, people, and all sorts of things.  
  
Sanosuke and Megumi had been arguing the whole time, and Megumi was tiring of it.  
  
"Oh just shut up." She said, giving him a light shove. She caught him off guard, and he stumbled, and tried to stop himself by putting one hand on the edge of the shelf. Unfortunately, the back of the shelf wasn't secured, so his hand went right past, flinging the back of the shelf up. The Kenshin gumi all screamed as the figurines went flying.  
  
Sanosuke caught the ones that had just slid right off. Three in his right hand, two in his left. He sighed in relief. All the others must have went farther. He looked up, and saw one coming right at him, and did the only thing he could do - caught it in his mouth.  
  
Misao, taken by surprise, caught the few that would hit her if she didn't. Aoshi had seen what was going to happen, so he was ready for it. He quickly caught them as they came, tossing them to Megumi to empty his hands so he could catch more. Megumi quickly took a hankercheif out of her pocket and caught them as Aoshi tossed them to her. Kenshin after murmuring a startled, "Oro!?!?" caught as many as he could, as did Tougi.  
  
They all sighed in relief, having caught all of them. Or so they thought. One figurine, happening to be the most expensive, was hurtling towards the ground. Every one gasped. A hand reached out and caught it. They all looked up with smiles, which immediately dropped when they saw the angry face of the store keeper, who was tapping his foot.  
  
"Get out."  
  
************  
  
Kaoru was just walking into the store when the group came literally flying out and landed on top of her.  
  
"Ouch! Get off!" Was all she could manage.  
  
They untangled themselves one by one, and Kenshin helped the poor flattened Kaoru up.  
  
"I think we should go somewhere else now..." Tougi said, directing every one into the limo.  
  
"So where are we going?" Asked Kenshin once they were all in.  
  
"Chicago." Tougi replied.  
  
"Chicago..." Kaoru whispered to herself. She fingered the piece of paper in her pocket.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~  
  
Okay! That's it for this chapter! It was probably short, But I have yet another chore to do today. Mow the lawn. *Yay*. Oh well. At least I'm getting payed for it. I could really use the money... Anyway... I really like having my room clean. It reminds me that I don't really havce to do anything now. Before, it was like every time I looked at it, I remembered I would have to clean in sooner or later... But why am I telling you this? I don't know...  
  
Japanese  
  
"Hai" - Yes  
  
"Kawaii" - Cute  
  
Aja - hahaha... Very funny. Yes, everything is lost on you. ^.^ Just kidding bro. You should really learn a lot more about the series, it's really cool.  
  
Shilvigrl/Amyjenc1 - I'm glad you like it ^.^ I'm trying to make it as interesting as possible. Although since I haven't written in a while, it's kinda hard to remember exactly how to put each sentence. ^-^' Hope ya keep reading!  
  
Princess of Darkness and me - No problem. I enjoy being a source of information. It makes me feel like I'm useful for something. ^.^ Maybe that's why I like school... ^-^  
  
Well, talk to you all later! And keep the reviews coming ^.^ Mesa loves reviews... ^^ Ja!  
  
~Seien 


	4. Chicago, Just how scary can it be?

Okay... Fourth chapter comin' right up! ^.^ Not much to say... So... Oh yes.. For all of you who aren't familiar with marstanuki's brilliant fan fiction "Flames of Passion", I advise you to read it. Very excellent indeed. ^.^ I'd give it my highest recommendation. Anyway, now on with the story...  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of it's characters... However, I do own Seija and Tougi. ^.^ But if you'd like to trade, than I'd be more than happy.... *evil grin*  
  
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The Kenshin-gumi arrived in America about a half an hour later. They were all fascinated with their surroundings.  
  
"The buildings are all so tall..." Megumi said, looking out the window.  
  
"Yeah, they are. Sometimes I can't help but feel intimidated by them." Tougi chuckled.  
  
Kenshin looked over at Kaoru. She had been awfully silent since they had come out from the store. Had something happened? Was she hurt? She seemed fine... He sighed. He would look after her in Chicago. He had heard what a place it could be, all the bad things happening there. He smiled and his hand went to his sakabatou. He had brought it along just in case they ran into trouble, which they were bound to. They always ran into trouble. He smiled and shook his head.  
  
Aoshi stared out the window at seemingly innocent people. He hated big cities like this. It brought back memories of days before Kenshin talked some sense into him. Days when he was a cold hearted killer. He imagined there were tons of killers hidden among all the commoners in this city. That's how it always was... He growled. If one person so much as touched Misao, he wouldn't hesitate to unsheath his Kodachi.  
  
Kaoru was lost in her thoughts. Should she go see that guy? She really wanted to see him again, yet a small part of her thought it was dangerous. But why would he be dangerous? He seemed so sincere! She sighed as she looked out the window.  
  
The car came to a complete stop. "I have some business to take care of, so I'll meet you all back here at say... 7:00?"  
  
Every one nodded at Tougi and got out.  
  
"So what are we gonna do?" Asked Sanosuke as the limo pulled away.  
  
Kaoru fingered the address in her pocket, looking around at every one else.  
  
Misao looked dumbfounded. "I don't know. This place is kinda creepy..." She edged closer to Aoshi.  
  
"Sano should feel right at home.." Megumi teased as a gothic person walked by.  
  
"Wait right there!" Sanosuke said, running into a nearby store. He emerged a few seconds later with three slips of paper in his hand.  
  
"Hey, what do ya have there?" Misao asked, peering at them.  
  
"The lottery." He said with a grin.  
  
Aoshi rolled his eyes. "Do you know how hard it is to win those things?"  
  
Sanosuke looked at him in surprise. He spoke!  
  
"Aoshi is right, that he is. You'd have better chances of being struck by lightning." Kenshin said, smiling.  
  
"Hey! Just what are you trying to say!?"  
  
Kenshin waved his hands around infront of him in an attempt to keep the peace. "N-nothing!" He said, still smiling.  
  
"Let's get something to eat, I'm starving!" Misao said, changing the subject.  
  
"Come to think of it, so am I." Sanosuke agreed.  
  
"Where do we go?" Asked Megumi.  
  
"Um. There?" Kensin pointed to a small restaurant. It looked decent enough, so they all nodded.  
  
**************  
  
"Mmmmm! That was great!" Sanosuke exclaimed.  
  
"It was. I didn't know American food could taste so good." Misao nodded her agreement.  
  
They were on the same street they had been on earlier. Every one was satisfied with the meal.  
  
"You six! Stop right there!" They froze and turned around. It was the police.  
  
"You!" Said an officer, pointing at Sanosuke. "Are under arrest for armed robbery."  
  
"Armed robbery! Y-ya gotta be kiddin' me!" He said, looking around at his friends.  
  
"But how could you have done that? You were with us the whole time!" Kaoru pointed out.  
  
"Maybe he looks like some one that did rob a bank." Megumi said.  
  
The police continued. "And your companions are under arrest for carrying weapons."  
  
Every one sweat dropped.  
  
"What should we do?" Asked Misao.  
  
"Officer, I can assure you, my friend didn't commit any robbery, that he didn't." Kenshin said with a smile.  
  
"You have the right to remain silent." The officer snapped.  
  
"Oro..."  
  
"I hate to say it, but the only thing we can do is.... run!" Aoshi commanded. Every one ran in groups of two. Aoshi with Kenshin, Megumi with Sanosuke, and Misao with Kaoru. Each group went in a different direction.  
  
Aoshi and Kenshin took to the roof tops. The cops wouldn't be able to catch them way up there. They easily lost the cops within minutes.  
  
Megumi and Sanosuke rounded a LOT of corners, then ran into a coffee shop and acted like normal customers.The cops blew right past.  
  
Misao and Kaoru took the back alleyways, and also successfully got away.  
  
"Phew.... That was close!" Misao exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah... But doesn't this place kinda creep you out?" Kaoru asked, peering around in the darkness. The alley way was big enough for a car to pass through, but still very dark. The road was made of gravel, and at the end there was a dumpster, and a chain link fence.  
  
Misao gulped. "Yeah, it does."  
  
"I think we're lost..." Kaoru said. "Did you pay any attention to where we came from?"  
  
"No... Just a whole bunch of dark alleys, that's all I know..."  
  
"That's not good." Kaoru didn't like this place. She could have sworn she heard voices over by the dumpster.  
  
"Let's turn around Misao..." Kaoru whispered. Misao nodded, and they both turned around. They jumped back in surprise. Two very built men were blocking their way out.  
  
"Step aside!" Kaoru commanded, taking out her bokken. Misao readied her kunai as well.  
  
One laughed. "So the pretty little girls think they can scare us do they?"  
  
Kaoru snarled and brought her bokken down on his head. The guy stepped back, holding his head.  
  
"Fall in!" He yelled, a bunch more men coming out of where the dumpster was. They formed a circle around the four standing there.  
  
"You'll wish you'd never done that little girl." Said the man, stepping forward to grab her wrist. She attempted to smack his hand away with the bokken, but he caught it and flipped her over his head.  
  
"Ahhh!" She went flying over his head and crashed into the ground. The other figure advanced on Misao, who immediately slashed him with her Kunai, and did a flip over him.  
  
"Kaoru, are you ok!?" She asked frantically. Kaoru nodded and slowly stood up. The circle was closing in.  
  
"Let's both attack at once. We might be able to make an opening in the circle."  
  
They both ran forward, Misao slashing at people and Kaoru knocking people one by one into the brick building next to them. That is, until they were each picked up by their collars (from behind).  
  
"What do ya say boys? What should we do with 'em? Oh wait, that was a silly question." Said the guy who had picked them up. He threw them against the wall.  
  
Kaoru held out her bokken, ready to do some serious Kamiya Kasshin Ryu if any one dared to touch them. A sword was drawn and sliced right through her bokken, cutting it in half. Her eyes widened, but she still held out the half of the bokken that she had left. She scanned the circle, and saw familiar blue eyes.  
  
"Seija?" She asked. He looked up at her, and she could tell he was not at all surprised to see it was her.  
  
"You tricked me!" She snapped, fumbling with the piece of paper. She read the address, and looked for something that could identify where they were. A light was shining on a street sign a several yards away. Dult. That was the street in the address. She had been tricked.  
  
"Fine! I didn't even come to see you!" She fumed. "I came here accidentally. It was mere coincidence that this is the address you gave me!"  
  
Misao looked at her in confusion. Kaoru knew that man?  
  
Seija's blue eyes changed from a soft, guilty look to a cold steel. "I'm sorry you feel that way." He said, turning and walking away.  
  
"Hey wait!" She called. He stopped and turned. "You're just going to leave me here!?"  
  
Shadows hid his eyes as he smiled. "Yes." And with that he was gone.  
  
Kaoru couldn't believe it. Of all the nerve.... One of the "gang" members reached out to touch her. She gave a startled cry of alarm and smacked his hand away with what was left of her bokken.  
  
Misao slashed out at a guy who was drawing closer to her. He stepped back, grunting in pain. Just then, all of the gang members began to close in. Her kunai were ripped from her hand as the men started to touch her.  
  
Kaoru was also disarmed. She watched helplessly as her bokken crashed to the ground about 10 feet away. One of the men began to lift her shirt. She lashed out violently and sent him scampering away. There were too many! She couldn't possibly beat them all!  
  
They both tried to fight off the men that were coming at them from all directions, but it was all in vain. They were both pinned to the wall, having to endure the sickening sensation of hands roaming their bodies. And they both screamed.  
  
**************  
  
"I think the cops are gone..." Sanosuke said, peeking out from a newspaper.  
  
"Where are we?" Asked Megumi, studying her surroundings.  
  
"S-t-a-r-b-u-c-k-s. Stahbuks?" Sanosuke tried to read the English sign.  
  
"Starbucks." Megumi said. "Famous for it's coffee."  
  
"Coffee? I've never had coffee before..." Sanosuke grinned. He walked up to the counter and managed to order something. Once he had recieved his order, he went back to Megumi.  
  
He took a sip. "Mmmm... Not bad." He said, taking another sip of the burning hot liquid. "Actually, this stuff is really good..." He let Megumi try it. When she agreed, he went back to get some more...  
  
**************  
  
"We lost them." Aoshi said.  
  
"That was too easy." Kenshin said, looking around. "Maybe it's a trick."  
  
"Or maybe they didn't expect two commoners to jump up on roofs of buildings to make their escape."  
  
"Oro..."  
  
"We should find the others." Aoshi said, observing the people wandering the sidewalks below.  
  
Kenshin nodded. "Did you happen to see the direction in which any one went?"  
  
"I think so. I think Misao and Kaoru went this way."  
  
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What will happen next? Will Misao and Kaoru be saved by some unknown hero, or will Kenshin and Aoshi reach them in time? And will Sanosuke know when to stop drinking coffee!? MUAHAHAHAHA.... Hahaha... I really am evil, leaving it at that cliffhanger and all.... But not to worry, I'll aim to have to next chapter out tonight (really late) or tomorrow. It will probably be tomorrow... But any way...  
  
donna8157 - Thank you ^.^ I'm glad you're enjoying it. Hope you keep reading. ^-^  
  
CurlsofSerenity - Yup. ^_^ I'm glad this holds your attention for a short bit. ^.^ I was trying to figure out whether to make Seija a bad guy, or a good guy. And I decided there had to be an encounter with thugs and such. And it just wouldn't do to put Megumi in that situation, since you can't really rape the willing... -.o lol, just kidding. But she doesn't seem to fit there, so I used Kaoru and Misao. (I didn't really mean the willing thing. ^-^' Don't hurt me!)  
  
Princess of Darkness and me - Yes. Kaoru is lucky. -.- I wish I could have three hot guys after me... Although I usually attract the defected ones... The ones that have tempers, and that don't have any sense of responsibility... which happened to be an 18 year old who acted like an 8 year old -.- Anyway... ^.^ Hope you're enjoying the story!  
  
Marstanuki - lol! I'm guessing you're not much of a Megumi fan. To tell the truth, neither am I. I find her very.. Oh how shall we say... an evil, cunning, intimidating person. Oh how I wish I could feed her to the sharks... But in this fic, I'm going to try to make her at least somewhat civil and normal.. ^-^'  
  
jonathan - I'm glad you like it ^.^ No worries, I shall finish it. ^-^' I dunno how soon, but I'll try really hard to get most of it done before I go back to work... Oh dear... work... yuk... Anyway, thanks for reading, and hope to see future reviews from you ^_^ By the way, can you tell I like these faces? -.o  
  
Akayia - Thanks for your support ^.^ It really means a lot. It keeps me encouraged that people like the story enough to keep reading ^_^ And therefore, it makes me a happy writer. And therefore after that, I write more often, knowing I have people I can't disappoint. ^-^' Anyway, thanks!  
  
Okay, I guess that's it. See ya in the next chapter!  
  
~Seien 


	5. The plot thickens

Howdy! Sorry about that cliffhanger I left you all at, but I gotta keep your attention somehow... ^-^' Now... Yup. Let's get on with the story.  
  
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters. Well? What? Ok ok, I do. *angry mob chases her* Ok ok, I don't! Yeesh... Tough crowd...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~ ******************************************************************** Misao slashed out at a guy who was drawing closer to her. He stepped back, grunting in pain. Just then, all of the gang members began to close in. Her kunai were ripped from her hand as the men started to touch her.  
  
Kaoru was also disarmed. She watched helplessly as her bokken crashed to the ground about 10 feet away. One of the men began to lift her shirt. She lashed out violently and sent him scampering away. There were too many! She couldn't possibly beat them all!  
  
They both tried to fight off the men that were coming at them from all directions, but it was all in vain. They were both pinned to the wall, having to endure the sickening sensation of hands roaming their bodies. And they both screamed. ********************************************************************  
  
Kenshin's violet eyes widened at the sight before him, then narrowed in anger. He jumped down from the roof top, using all the speed he had. He drew his sakabatou in midair and landed gracefully in front of Kaoru. He growled at them, his eyes flickering back and forth between violet and amber.  
  
"Big mistake!" He growled ferociously as he took out five men with one swipe of his sakabatou.  
  
Only two remained, and that's before they ran away.  
  
Kaoru was traumatized, and her breathing came in short, raspy breaths. Kenshin put his hand on her shoulder. She could still feel those hands, feeling her... She drew back from his touch.  
  
Kenshin was surprised. Had he done something wrong? He dismissed that thought. No, she had just had a bad experience.  
  
Aoshi had been in the middle of saying something to Kenshin, when he turned around and he was gone. He looked down into the alley below him, and the sight that greeted him made him want to tear apart every living thing he saw. He jumped down, landing on one of the men, rendering him unconscious. He drew his kodachi and fought the pack of oncoming thugs. He stabbed one's shoulder, slashed one's abdomen, pierced through one's hip. He finally disposed of the last one and ran to Misao, who was quaking in fear, staring straight ahead.  
  
"Misao!" He exclaimed, rushing to her and hugging her close. He realized what he was doing and stepped back, clearing his throat. "You should know better than to be in this sort of area."  
  
Her eyes filled with tears as she errupted into cries of agony. She had tried so hard to not cry... She had tried so hard to be brave. She had done exceptionally well until his last sentence. She knew that she had disappointed him. She wanted to be strong and prove she could handle herself. She didn't want to be a baby about it. But his icy reprimanding had sent her over the edge. She had needed comforting, but he didn't give her any. She had failed... She was just a little lamb in his eyes. Not knowing anything, incredibly dense and stupid, getting herself in trouble, and not being able to get out.  
  
It felt like some one had just stabbed him right through the heart. He hadn't meant to make her cry... He just wasn't used to showing emotion... He wasn't used to getting close to people... It took him by surprise. He sighed, gathered her in his arms, and took off.  
  
Kenshin sighed and looked around at all the unconscious bodies laying around. He shook his head and turned his attention back to Kaoru. "We need to get out of here." He said.  
  
She nodded and began to walk, but her knees gave out. Kenshin caught her before she could fall to the ground. Silent tears streamed down her face. He sighed and lifted her up, bridal style. He jumped onto the rooftop, and followed after Aoshi.  
  
*************** *A little while later*  
  
"Get up." Tougi kicked an unmoving form on the ground. "What the hell is wrong with you all!?"  
  
"Sir." Said a man, bowing before him.  
  
"Why are they all like this?" He asked.  
  
"Two guys showed up and saved them before you got here." The man replied.  
  
"Them!? She was suppose to come alone!" He growled, grabbing the man by his collar.  
  
"Sir, I didn't know her friend would come with! She said she came by accident!" The man's blue eyes were blazing with hatred.  
  
Tougi released him.  
  
"You and your men were suppose to scare her a bit. And then you were suppose to send word to me, so I could come save the day and she could fall hopelessly in love with me."  
  
"Sir Tougi, the men came before we could send word..."  
  
"SILENCE!" Tougi yelled. He then brought his voice down. "Then we'll just have to try something else... But not today, mind you. Prepare your men, make sure they recover. I'll be back to settle this matter."  
  
************  
  
Every one met back at the required place at seven. Tougi was already there with the limo, waiting. Every one got in and they drove back to the mansion in silence. Misao and Kaoru, he noticed, seemed to be elsewhere. They were staring out the window, obviously lost in thought.  
  
They got back to the mansion without incident, and every one went to their rooms. Misao sighed. She must have disappointed Aoshi... Maybe she should go apologize. She got up, went to his room, and knocked on the door.  
  
"Enter." Misao smiled. He was so cute.  
  
Aoshi heard the door being opened, and looked up to see Misao standing by the door, looking rather unsure of herself.  
  
"Come in." He said. She nodded and closed the door behind her, choosing to sit on his bed. He was at his desk, stroking his kodachi thoughtfully.  
  
Misao didn't know how to start. She sighed and began anyway. "Aoshi, I wanted to say I'm sorry."  
  
He turned from his desk, surprised. "Sorry?"  
  
"Yes. I'm sorry that..." She fought back the tears, "that I'm so weak you have to save me every time I'm in trouble... I'm sorry you always have to stop what you're doing to get me out of some mess I got myself into... And I'm really sorry that all I do is bother you." She finished, closing her eyes in frustration. "That's all." She said, getting up to walk out. She opened the door.  
  
"Wait." He said. "I... It wasn't your fault. You see Misao, I really... I really..." He choked over the words he wanted to say.  
  
Misao's heart fluttered. Did he really care for her? Would he admit it now? She fervently hoped so...  
  
"I don't think you're helpless." He finished lamely. Why couldn't he just tell her how he felt about her?  
  
Misao got a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Oh." She said. "Good night Aoshi." And with that, she left. She didn't want him to see her crying again. Hot tears burned her cheeks as she slipped into her bed. She let out all her hurt and anger in tears, crying herself to sleep.  
  
Aoshi sighed. He wanted to tell her that it had scared him to death when he saw what those guys were doing to her. And it made him mad. So mad he wanted to kill. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him. How he had come to look forward to her smiling face each morning. How he loved her bubbly personality. How she seemed to light up a room as soon as she entered it. He shook his head. Why hadn't he been able to tell her?  
  
**************  
  
"No! NO!" Kaoru screamed, waking herself up. She abruptly sat up in her bed, sweating and breathing hard. She sighed in relief as she realized where she was. "It was just a dream..." She muttered, trying to calm her nerves. She threw the bed covers aside and left her room, deciding to explore the hallways. She quietly tiptoed down her corridor, but stopped when she saw a door labeled "balcony". She opened it and stepped out to the balcony, decorated with a few items of furniture, and over looking a pool. She layed down on a love seat.  
  
She sighed and closed her eyes. That experience was so horrible... It was not something she would soon forget. She shivered and curled as much as possible into a ball. She was quite surprised when she was covered in a warm material. Her eyes shot open. Kenshin was standing over her, smiling. She managed a weak smile in return, and shifted to face him under the blanket he had brought.  
  
"Still a little jumpy, that you are." He said, seating himself in a chair across from her, sipping a cup of tea.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I am." She replied.  
  
"Are you okay?" He asked, looking rather concerned.  
  
"Yes. I just... Can't stop imagining.... I can still feel it." She shuddered.  
  
Kenshin nodded and got out of his chair. He set the tea down and carefully walked over to her.  
  
"I'm only sorry I couldn't have been there sooner." He said, then paused. "I won't let it happen again." He promised.  
  
Kaoru nodded and smiled. She believed him.  
  
He bend down and kissed her forehead. "Good night Kaoru-dono."  
  
"Kenshin..."  
  
He stopped and turned. "Yes?"  
  
"Will you... Stay out here with me?" She asked.  
  
"If you wish." He said, seating himself on the other end of the loveseat, by her feet.  
  
"It was terrible..." She said after a few moments of silence.  
  
"I can't imagine" He said thoughtfully, "how it feels to be a woman in that situation, that I can't. Helpless to some hentai's advances."  
  
"It's terrifying. Knowing you can't do anything..."  
  
"Shhhh..." Kenshin took her in his arms, rocking her back and forth. "I'll never let any one touch you again."  
  
Kaoru smiled up at him. Kenshin blushed.  
  
"Is it alright if I... Stay here, with you for the night?" He asked.  
  
"I'd like that, that I would." She answered.  
  
He blushed again at her using his phrase. He layed down next to her, so that he was to the back of the loveseat, and she was towards the edge. He slipped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of flowers. He smiled to himself and whispered, "Good night Kaoru-dono."  
  
"Goodnight Kenshin..." She said, quickly falling asleep in his comforting presence.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~  
  
There ya have it. Some fluff. ^.^ There's more. Oh yes... There will be more... Muahaha... Anyway... I have bad news. I'm going to Indiana with my mom, and I didn't know until last minute. We're leaving tomorrow (Saturday) and won't be back until Tuesday. That's actually why I'm putting this chapter out now, since I left you guys at an awful cliffhanger, and I don't want you to kill me when I get back ^.^ But I shall be back (hopefully with another chapter) on Tuesday.  
  
I get to spend quality time with my mom... ^-^' hahaha... what a joy. Yep. I'll most likely be bored down there. Nothin' ta do and all... Anyway... Well... Ja!  
  
~Seien 


	6. Pranking Aoshi

Howdy everyone! ^.^ I'm back from my little trip to the country! I was pleased to find so many reviews when I got back! ^-^ It made my day! ^.^ Muahahaha... Anyway, I suppose you want the next chapter, right? So I'll cut the small talk and get on with the story, since I'm anxious to write it as well. By the way, I got this really good smelling lotion set. It smells soooo good! Ok ok, I'll shut up...  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters from it. End of story. No! Not this story! Erm... you know what I mean. -.-'  
  
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"Heheh..." Sanosuke snickered. It was midnight, and he was still wide awake, due to the large amounts of coffee he had been exposed to.  
  
"Tee hee." Megumi was up also, having one too many cups of java herself. Neither of them felt tired, so they ad both gotten up and roamed the hallways, then bumped into eachother. They decided to explore together. They ended up going in circles, and during one of their journeys through their own hallway, came across Aoshi's door.  
  
They now stood in his room, a can of extra-thick whipped cream and a feather in hand. Sanosuke sprayed some whipped cream into both of Aoshi's hands, then motioned for Megumi to do her job. Megumi nodded and tickled Aoshi's nose with the feather. He shook his head a little and scrunched his nose. Megumi growled and tried again. This time he rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.  
  
Sanosuke smacked his head. Aoshi was so difficult to prank...  
  
Megumi tried again, and this time her efforts were rewarded. Aoshi rubbed his nose, spreading whipped cream all over it. She then tickled one part of his face at a time, and each time Aoshi coated his face in whipped cream. Five minutes later, the only parts of his face that could be seen were his tightly closed eyes.  
  
Megumi and Sanosuke got out a camera and were about to take a picture when Aoshi's eyes snapped open. All three of them screamed. Aoshi was up in a flash, bounding after the two pranksters who were literally running for their lives. They rounded a corner and quickly hid in a small closet, gently closing and locking the door so Aoshi wouldn't hear them.  
  
"Where are you!?" Aoshi yelled. "Nevermind, I'll come find you!"  
  
"Aoshi?" He stopped when he heard a confused voice behind him. He turned around and came face to face with Misao, who was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.  
  
"What are you doing up?" He asked, his face turning red under the layers of cream.  
  
"I should ask you the same thing." She said, taking a finger and delicately wiping off a bit of the whipped cream. She popped it in her mouth. "Mmmm... I heard a whole bunch of noise, so I came to see what all the commotion was about." She giggled at his bewildered expression.  
  
"I uh..." He started. How would he explain himself? "Well... Megumi and Sano..."  
  
"Oh I see. This is their work. I can help you get them back if you want." She smiled.  
  
He almost turned into a puddle on the floor. He was relieved that she didn't think him extremely stupid. "Yeah sure... Just not tonight. We have to do some planning first."  
  
She nodded and winked at him, then returned to her room. He returned to his room also, heading for his bathroom to wash off the whipped cream.  
  
"Ouch!" Cried Megumi. "You stepped on my foot!"  
  
"Sorry, there's not enough room in here..." Sanosuke tried to shift around in the closet. Despite his efforts, Megumi ended up in Sanosuke's lap, and they were both on the floor. Both of them blushed wildly.  
  
"Er... Sorry..." Sanosuke said.  
  
"It's... ok..." Megumi said, her gaze locking on his deep brown eyes. They both froze for an instant, just staring into eachother's eyes.  
  
Sanosuke hesitated. What were all these emotions flowing through him? Would she smack him if he tried to kiss her? He decided to go for it.  
  
Megumi watched as Sanosuke leaned in, getting closer to her every second. Suddenly she really wanted to kiss him.  
  
Their lips met in a gentle kiss, and electric shocks coursed through both of their veins. They both pulled back.  
  
Megumi touched her lips softly as she looked at Sanosuke. 'What was that!?'  
  
Sanosuke blinked. 'What the...'  
  
"I think we should get out of here." Megumi suggested.  
  
"Yeah." Sanosuke nodded and reached up to unlock the door. He turned the knob. "Uh..." He turned it again.  
  
"What's wrong?" Megumi asked.  
  
"It's stuck!" He answered.  
  
"Let me try!" She said, shoving his hand away and trying the knob herself.  
  
Aoshi smirked and looked at the chair he had propped against the door knob. That should keep them... Or at least until Sanosuke got smart and decided to punch the door open. He sauntered back to his room.  
  
"Great! Now we're stuck in here!" Megumi said, smacking him upside the head.  
  
"Ouch!" He said, slumping against the wall.  
  
"Funny. You can get hit by some of the strongest men in the world and not get hurt, but you get hit by a woman and you get knocked out." Megumi giggled.  
  
He shook his head and recovered. "What was that for!?"  
  
Megumi smiled. "Oh nothing." She said coyly.  
  
He growled. "Guess we're stuck in here for the night."  
  
"Actually it's more like morning." Megumi said.  
  
"True... Grr... I can't be stuck in here, I have too much energy to burn!"  
  
"I know a way you can burn energy..." She said, tracing his jaw with a finger.  
  
"H-h-how?" He asked, swallowing.  
  
"By trying to get us out of here! I don't want to spend my valuable time with the likes of you!" She said, punching him in the face.  
  
"Hmph. What do you always have to abuse me? If that's how you want it... HAAAAA!" She backed up against the door as he threw a punch in her direction.  
  
It was as if time stopped for Megumi. Would he really punch a woman? And her of all women?! She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, waiting for the impact. But it never came. Instead, she heard the sound of snapping wood. She opened her eyes. The wooden door was no where to be seen. There was wooden dust scattered all over the hallway.  
  
"Why didn't you just say so in the first place?" He asked coldly as he walked out and back to his room.  
  
Megumi was shocked. He could have done that all along! Did he actually want to spend the night in there with her? She felt terrible. She must have hurt his feelings... She sighed and wandered back to her room as well.  
  
Sanosuke growled. He had always had some what of a crush on the fox. Ever since he first saw her. But it seemed the only time they ever spoke to eachother was to argue. And she always acted like she hated him. He figured staying in there with her would be a chance to talk civilly to eachother. He was wrong. He sighed and his thoughts travelled back to the kiss they had shared. He was surprised she allowed that to happen, and even more surprised when she didn't murder him afterwards. He shook his head and forced his thoughts elsewhere. He shouldn't get his hopes up.  
  
*************  
  
Kaoru awoke to the sound of yelling in the hallway beyond the balcony door. She was going to stretch until she noticed the pair of arms around her waist and the chin resting on her shoulder. Her first thought was to scream bloody murder, but then she remembered who it was. She smiled and played with a lock of fiery red hair. She sighed contentedly and snuggled further into his chest, breathing in his scent. Desirable, yet masculine. He must have put on cologne. She breathed it in once again. It fit him perfectly.  
  
She had never imagined that Kenshin would be so bold as to hold her like this. Seeing what those guys had been doing to her probably gave him a few gray hairs. That is, if he had feelings for her. Of course he did! They wouldn't be in this position if he didn't. And Kenshin wasn't one to fool around when it came to women. She wondered if the incident yesterday (AN: Remember, it's past 12 AM. Morning!) had anything to do with his sudden gutsy actions. Well, it's not as if they kissed, but if they had still been in Japan Kaoru would bet her bottom dollar that he wouldn't have gotten so close to her.  
  
She smiled again. But she liked it. It felt so... right. Like they were made to fit in eachother's arms. She closed her eyes and relaxed, feeling perfectly safe in his arms. She was absolutely sure nothing could get within ten feet of her when she was in his embrace. Especially not those thugs. She shivered from the memory of the event.  
  
Kenshin must have felt her fear. He stirred, and before long his eyes slowly opened. "Is everything alright, Kaoru-dono?" He asked.  
  
"Hai." She said, putting on one of her best smiles for him. His eyes softened as he smiled back.  
  
Kenshin was in heaven. He finally got to hold her close to him. He had waited for so long to do this... Some times patiently, and others not so patiently. But it all paid off now. He felt as though the world could end for all he cared, as long as he had 'his' Kaoru with him. He contemplated whether or not he should tell her all of this. What would she say? Would she tell him she had no feelings for him? That she only loved him as a friend and a brother? No... Surely she wouldn't let him hold her like this if she had no feelings for him. This gave Kenshin some confidence.  
  
"Kaoru..." He whispered in her ear, nuzzling her neck.  
  
He wanted her so badly. His craving was driving him insane with desire.  
  
"Y-yes?" Kaoru stuttered. She was surprised he hadn't added the usual "dono" to her name. And the way he said it drove her up a wall! It was all she could do to keep from kissing him passionately.  
  
"Aishi-"  
  
The sound of shattering wood was heard and he abruptly sat up.  
  
"What was that?" Asked Kaoru.  
  
"I don't know. It sounded like wood being smashed into tiny pieces. Sanosuke must have used his special technique." He said thoughtfully.  
  
"He's probably mad." She giggled.  
  
Kenshin smiled and relaxed. His reflex action would have been to jump up and draw his sword. But he didn't. That would have worried Kaoru. He sighed. The moment was ruined. He had just gotten up the courage to tell her, and Sano had to go and be destructive. He shook his head.  
  
Kaoru felt his tension and shrugged. "I'm sure he won't be bothering us."  
  
Kenshin caught the hidden meaning behind her words and smiled, looking into her enchanting blue eyes. His desire mounted again, and before he knew it, he had gently laid her on the couch, and was laying on top of her, his face inches from hers. He leaned in closer, and just before their lips were about to meet, he hesitated as if to ask permission. She answered by closing the distance and capturing his lips with hers. As their passion and desire grew, the kiss grew more heated. They finally seperated for lack of air. They were both shaking, and each thought their strength would give out right then and there and they'd melt into a puddle of mush.  
  
"I've waited to do that for so long, that I have." Kenshin confessed.  
  
Kaoru smiled. "Me too." She then cuddled up to his chest and closed her eyes.  
  
He smiled and kissed her forehead before closing his eyes himself and drifting off to a peaceful sleep full of fantasies.  
  
***************  
  
Tougi growled as he watched from his window, on the floor above them. Who did that Kenshin guy think he was kissing and holding Kaoru like that? As far as he was concerned, Kaoru was 'HIS'. Fire burned in his eyes and he glared daggers at the one who dared touch HIS Kaoru. Kenshin would pay... Oh yes.... Would he pay... His eyes possessed a deadly glint as he turned away from the window.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~  
  
Okay, that's all for this chapter. I wanted to start with a fresh new chapter when they all wake up for the day. Anyway... Yup. I'll work on the next chapter tonight and tomorrow, and I'll get that one out hopefully before Thursday, 'cause I'm going on another trip, this time to Michigan. ^- ^' Then after that I'll be back at work, so you probably won't hear from me until a week from this Friday. -.- I'm so busy all of the sudden... But oh well. At least I got out of work this week. Muahahaha...  
  
Resha Valentine - Thanks. ^.^ However, if you want to read the story, You'll have to do so from right here. I'd be happy to e-mail you and tell you when I've updated, though. ^-^ Hope ya keep reading!  
  
ShilviGrl/Amyjenc1 - Lol. Yes, Aoshi does appear as a dunce. However, that's only because he's not used to all these emotions, and frankly, he doesn't know what to do with them. I thought that if I had him confess all his feelings to Misao and start acting human so early, it wouldn't be like the real Aoshi. Therefore, I'm having him take his sweet time and sort out his feelings, and then he'll be ready to tell Misao everything. I'm trying to brain storm some brilliant event that will finally crack his shell so he can tell her how he feels. ^-^' Anyway, thanks for your support! ^.~  
  
battousai rk8520 - ^-^' eh heh heh.... That's rather disturbing.... But I'll take that as a sign you're enjoying the story? ^.^'' I sure hope so. ^.^ Thanks for reviewing!  
  
donna8157 - Thanks ^.~ Yeah, I was deciding whether to make him an evil person or a good person, and I guess I chose the evil one. It gives Kenshin more chances to stand up and fight for Kaoru ^.^ And as for Seija.... Well... in the last chapter the guy that Tougi was talking with had blue eyes.... I wonder if it was him? ^_^ Thanks for your encouragement! It helps a lot!  
  
Kenshin - Really? That's cool. I live in that area too. ^-^' That's where I got the idea from. ^.~  
  
marstanuki - I agree. I had half a mind to have Yahiko go to America instead of her, but I decided to try and make it work. I'm a fan of Harry Potter too ^.^ I read the fourth book without stopping (except meals and such). I can't wait to read book five. But I need to get money first. ^-^' Yeah, I try to post fast. Not to mention I'm enjoying writing the story, so that gives me motivation. Thanks! And I can't tell you how grateful I am to you. By reading your story, I got rid of that horrible writers block that made me use the same words over and over. ^.^ I guess you could say you inspired me. ^_^  
  
Princess of Darkness and me - Got this chapter out as soon as I could. ^.^ I'm glad you're enjoying it, because I'm enjoying writing it as well!  
  
Hypo/Peachy - Thanks ^.^ I'm glad you like it. ^-^ Happy happy joy joy, happy happy joy joy... ^-^' er... Yeah. Hope ya keep reading!  
  
CurlsofSerenity - Lol! Actually, there is a reason why his name is close to mine. A few months ago I was kinda getting tired of the name Seien, and I thought I needed a new one. So I made up a list of names that I thought sounded cool, including a slight variation of my name, and Seija was one of them. Then when I needed a name for this guy, that just popped into my head. ^-^' No, I'm not suggesting that that's my evil twin brother or worse yet that I'm the criminal mastermind behind all the mayhem. ^.^ Just a name I thought sounded cool. Hope ya keep reading!  
  
Until the next chapter! Ja!  
  
~Seien 


	7. Six Flags, here we come!

Howdy! I'm back with the promised chapter! I'm leaving tomorrow for Michigan, so what ever I get out today will have to last you guys a while. ^-^" I wish I could stay home for the rest of the summer and write, but if I want to go back to the school that I like, I have to work. I suppose I could always bring my computer there, but it's such a pain lugging it back and forth every week... -.- Anyway... I'm hungry... I haven't eaten anything and it's already 12 pm. *Sigh* Okay, well, on with the story.  
  
Disclaimer: I do own Rurouni Kenshin and all of the characters. Oops... Did I say that? ^-^" What I meant to say was... I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters... Heh... heh... honest mistake...  
  
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The next morning every one woke up a little later than usual. Probably due to the fact they were up all night. They ate breakfast, piled into the limo, and took off, ready for a day of fun at an amusement park.  
  
"What's this place called?" Asked Sanosuke.  
  
"Six Flags Great America." Tougi replied, watching Kenshin like a hawk.  
  
Kenshin could feel his icy glare, but pretended to not notice. He was seated next to Kaoru, who was now busily looking out the window.  
  
"We have to make a short stop. I'm picking up a friend of mine." Tougi stated as the limo came to a stop in a driveway.  
  
Kaoru watched as a figure walked up to the limo and opened the door. Blue eyes greeted her. She gasped, which got a reaction out of Kenshin. He had his hand on his sword, ready to do combat if this person so much as touched her (AN:Remember, he walked away before Kenshin got there, so Kenshin hasn't seen him before).  
  
Seija silently got into the limo, sitting next to Megumi, totally aware of the fact that every one was staring at him, with the exception of Tougi. It took Misao a minute to recognize him, but when she did she scooted closer to Aoshi. He immediately noticed and looked down at her, earning a timid smile. He then looked over at the blue eyed stranger. It seemed that Kaoru and Misao had both seen him before. But where? And it seems like they were... afraid? Aoshi growled and silently vowed to decapitate him if he so much as thought about hurting her.  
  
Kaoru's mind was racing. Did Tougi say this was his friend? Did he know how bad this guy was? Or was he tied in with the thugs somehow? She stole a glance at Seija, who's eyes were fixed on her. She growled inwardly and looked at Kenshin. His hand caught hers and gave it a soft, reassuring squeeze. She smiled and snuggled into him.  
  
Sanosuke watched Kaoru and Kenshin. Since when had they gotten so intimate? And since when had Kenshin gotten up the guts to do anything about his feelings? Or had it been Kaoru? He made a mental note to ask him about it later.  
  
After two hours, the limo pulled into a parking space at the amusement park and every one got out.  
  
"I pre-ordered tickets so we don't have to stand in line to get them." Tougi said. He passed out the tickets and every one got in line to be admitted into the park. They got there just as they were starting to let people in.  
  
"What's this for?" Kenshin asked a guy standing by what looked like a weird metal door frame.  
  
"A metal detector. To see if people have any weapons on 'em."  
  
Kenshin suddenly looked pale. He had brought his sakabatou! "What if the weapon is for defense?"  
  
"Makes no difference. We don't allow 'em."  
  
Kenshin swallowed. What would he do now?  
  
"Could you hold on for a minute?" He asked, and took off without waiting for a reply. He was back within ten seconds, thanks to his incredible speed. He had put his sakabatou back in the limo, and stepped through the metal detector without any problems.  
  
Tougi grinned as he watched Kenshin. His plan was perfect. No weapons were allowed in here, so they wouldn't have anything to fight with. That would make Seija's job a lot easier.  
  
"It's a good thing I didn't bring my kunai." Misao said with a grin.  
  
Aoshi said nothing. He hadn't left his kodachi at the mansion. He hadn't left it in the limo either. He watched people as they milled about. Why had he agreed to come in the first place? Oh yes. It was because Misao had wanted him to. That was reason enough for him, although he would never admit it.  
  
Once they were all through the metal detectors, they all walked off in a group to the first ride.  
  
"The Shockwave." Read Sanosuke. "That looks fun." He looked up at the huge blue and white roller coaster.  
  
Megumi was shaking. "We're going... on that!?"  
  
Misao didn't have a problem. "That looks so fun! Let's go!" And with that she grabbed Aoshi's hand and dragged him into line.  
  
Kaoru followed her with Kenshin in tow. Sanosuke started following them too.  
  
"Come on fox. It's not that bad." He was still a little mad at her from the previous night, but he decided to put it aside for now.  
  
Megumi nodded and followed him to the group standing in line.  
  
"Hey, where did Tougi go?" Asked Sanosuke. Every one looked around, but could find no trace of him or Seija.  
  
"Eh, must've bailed." He said, grinning and turning his attention to the ride before him.  
  
The line was fairly short, so they were all strapped in in no time. Aoshi and Misao took the very front, Kaoru and Kenshin were behind them, and in a different car near the back held Megumi and Sanosuke.  
  
"Please secure your possessions. Glasses should be taken off, and bags can be left here and you can pick them up when you get off. Please keep your hands inside the cars at all times, except when you raise them. Have a nice ride." The announcer said.  
  
They started moving, and pretty soon they were on the track, going down the first drop, going through the loops, taking sharp turns, ect. Megumi was screaming at the top of her lungs.  
  
"Woman stop your screaming!" Sanosuke yelled at her as they went through another loop.  
  
Misao was throughly enjoying herself. Next to her, Aoshi looked rather disturbed.  
  
"This is fun!" Kaoru yelled to Kenshin.  
  
"Oro!"  
  
Finally, much to Megumi, Aoshi, and Kenshin's relief, the ride ended and they got off. Megumi's legs almost gave out, and Sanosuke steadied her. They made their way to the next ride. The Batman.  
  
"There is no way I'm going on that!" Megumi exclaimed. Kenshin and Aoshi silently agreed.  
  
"Oh come on. I'm sure it's not as bad as the last one." Misao assured her.  
  
They were finally able to drag her into line. By the time they got off, Megumi wanted to go again.  
  
"That was so cool! Let's go again!" She said, going to get back in line.  
  
"Hey, let's go on different ones." Kaoru said, grabbing her arm and pulling her along to the Raging Bull.  
  
Soon it was lunch time, and every one decided to go get something to eat. They each ordered their own seperate meals and sat down together.  
  
"The Iron Wolf was really fun!" Misao was saying. Sanosuke, Kenshin, and Aoshi looked at her like she was a lunatic. Misao giggled and whispered to Kaoru, "They're still walking funny from that one!" Kaoru and Misao started laughing.  
  
"I heard that!" Sanosuke snapped.  
  
(AN: For those of you who haven't been to Six Flags, the Iron Wolf is a roller coaster where you are basically standing, but you have something like a bicycle seat under you. So some guys tend to... erm... Get hurt, since they... Well... You get the point.)  
  
They finished their lunches and wandered around for a bit.  
  
"You know, I haven't seen Tougi and Seija all day." Megumi commented.  
  
Kaoru and Misao exchanged glances.  
  
"Maybe they're both gay and they went off alone so we wouldn't see them-"  
  
"Sano! Don't say things like that!" Kaoru scolded.  
  
"Well I can't help it. I don't like that guy at all." He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Now that you mention it, there is something different about him..." Misao said.  
  
"His aura feels dark, that it does." Kenshin said, pondering over it.  
  
Kaoru looked around at all the people. She had felt it too. She knew there was something evil about him. He hadn't been like that when he was in Japan. What had made him change? Suddenly she felt a cold, sharp metal pressing against her neck and an arm pinned her arms to either side.  
  
"If any one moves, the girl dies." Said a familiar voice.  
  
Kenshin's ki flared as he watched Kaoru struggling to free herself. Some one in the crowd saw the knife and yelled "Murderer! Every one run!" The crowds cleared out, leaving the group to themselves.  
  
"Stop moving!" Seija hissed as he pressed more firmly. She obeyed.  
  
"There's only one thing to do." Kenshin said. All eyes were on him. "Run!" He said, bolting off into the distance.  
  
"What the!?" Sanosuke spoke for every one as they all stared after him.  
  
"Well I guess your man doesn't really love you." Seija sneered.  
  
Kaoru's eyes opened wide. Why had he run away? That wasn't at all like him! Was Seija right? Did Kenshin really not love her? She growled. It wasn't true! He did! Didn't he?  
  
"I'm going to kill you slowly, so you can feel the pain." Seija whispered to her.  
  
Just then, Tougi stepped out from the shadows. "Seija, what are you-" He was cut off and appeared to have just fallen to the ground, except there were footprints all over him.  
  
Seija's eyes opened. This wasn't part of the plan. What was happening? He looked around.  
  
Kaoru heaved a sigh of relief as the blade was removed from her throat. She heard a cracking noise behind her. She turned. Kenshin was standing over Seija, watching him keenly with amber eyes. Seija was holding his nose and moaning. Blood was quickly staining his shirt.  
  
"Kenshin!" She cried and flung herself into his arms. He smiled and ran his fingers through her hair.  
  
"It's ok Kaoru." He said, kissing her forehead. Every one's mouths dropped. Since when did he call her Kaoru?  
  
"Good job Kenshin." Sanosuke said, studying Seija with a grin. "You got him away from Jou-chan and you broke his nose."  
  
"That's what happens to any one that tries to hurt her." He said, purposely making sure it was loud enough for Tougi to hear.  
  
Tougi got up from his spot on the ground. "Was it you who ran over me!?" He asked crossly.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you." Kenshin said. His voice was dripping with venom.  
  
Tougi shrank back. He hadn't expected the red haired maniac to speak to him with such hate. There was something different about him. His eyes! They had been violet before, hadn't they?  
  
"W-well, I think we've had enough fun for the day.." Tougi said.  
  
"No! I want to stay!" Misao said, her arms crossed. Megumi was right behind her.  
  
So it was decided that they would stay for the rest of the day. They went on almost all of the roller coasters, and had only one left when it got dark.  
  
"The Whizzer." Said Sanosuke.  
  
"I heard some people talking about this one! They said it's really fun when you go on it when it's dark and you have your boyfriend with you." Every one looked at Misao.  
  
"What!? That's what they said, not me.." She grumbled.  
  
They finally got up to the front of the line, and were about to get in.  
  
"There's only one seat." Said Aoshi.  
  
"Yeah. The guys sit in the back, and the girls sit infront of them, like this." Misao had Aoshi get in and she demonstrated. Aoshi's cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink.  
  
The rest of the gang got in different cars. Sanosuke with Megumi, and Kenshin with Kaoru. They fastened their seat belts.  
  
Kaoru leaned back against Kenshin. He smiled and put his arms around her.  
  
Misao couldn't wait to go. Rumor had it this was one of the fastest rides there - and most romantic. Maybe some of the romantic atmosphere would rub off on Aoshi. She leaned against him. He akwardly encircled her waist with his arms.  
  
Sanosuke wasted no time in holding Megumi, although she did hesitate to lean back on him.  
  
At the end of the ride, all three 'couples' were in a rather romantic mood. Tougi growled as he lead them out of the park and back to the limo. He was suppose to save Kaoru, not Kenshin! Maybe he would have to just skip the whole saving thing and get straight to the point... Yes... He would do that.  
  
"What is he doing here?!" Demanded Misao, pointing at Seija, who was in the front seat with the driver.  
  
"It's the least we can do to drive him back to his house." Tougi said impatiently as they drove off.  
  
"Whaddya mean 'the least we can do'!? He tried to kill Jou-chan! He's a murderer!" Sanosuke growled, loud enough for Seija to hear.  
  
"Murderer or not, he's still my friend." Tougi said sharply.  
  
"Shows how well you pick your friends." Aoshi commented.  
  
"I picked Kaoru, didn't I?" Tougi snapped.  
  
The subject was dropped and the ride home was quiet. They stopped to let Seija off at his house, then went back to the mansion.  
  
"We have a pool out back. You are welcome to use it at any time of the day or night." Tougi said, addressing Kaoru more than the others. She nodded.  
  
As the others were making their way up to their rooms, he held her back.  
  
"I need to talk to you." He said.  
  
"What is it?" She asked.  
  
"Kaoru... I have a confession to make. It's been on my mind all day. And not only all day, but ever since it happened. And I would feel relieved if I told you." He said, unsure of himself.  
  
Kaoru waited patiently.  
  
"Kaoru... I... I've fallen in love with you." He said, taking her hand.  
  
(AN: Some of you may have thought he was going to confess to his scheme with Seija. ^.^ That's how I wanted it to seem. Haha, he's so evil, isn't he?)  
  
Kaoru fought the urge to smack him and as politely as possible pried her hand from his.  
  
"Tougi, I'm sorry. I don't really feel that way about you..."  
  
"But you can! In time you will! Kaoru, I want to marry you!" He said, taking her hand again.  
  
"Well, you see, I-"  
  
"Shh, don't say a word my love." He said, forcing his lips upon hers.  
  
She smacked him. Hard.  
  
"I told you, I don't feel that way about you! I'm in love with some one else!" She said, and with that she stormed off to her room.  
  
Tougi growled. "She thinks she can just blow me off and get rid of me that easily? She's got another thing coming... I won't give up just because I was refused. I'll make her mine! She'll wish she had never rejected me!" He said to no one in particular.  
  
Kaoru sighed as she put on her blue two piece bathing suit. "I hope he understands... I love Kenshin. Not him" She put on her matching blue beach cabana (AN: Ya know, the pieces of material that wrap around your waist, almost like a skirt) and grabbed her towel, heading for the pool.  
  
It seems that every one else had the same idea. Megumi, Misao, Sanosuke, Aoshi, and Kenshin were all there. The pool area was well lit, thanks to the many lights lining it (AN: When I say the lights are lining the pool area, I don't mean they're right next to the pool. ^-^"). Kaoru smiled as she switched a chair to a reclining position, then layed down. Kenshin came over to her.  
  
"Are you ok?" He asked.  
  
"Yes. I'm fine." She said, smiling. He smiled back, looking into her beautiful blue eyes. They were care free.  
  
He sat down next to her. "Kaoru... Tougi is... well... he's..." Kenshin paused, wondering how to word it. "He's not the friendliest person. And his aura.... it's that of some one with a black heart."  
  
Kaoru's smile faded as she became serious. "I know Kenshin. I could feel it too. But, we should try to help him, shouldn't we?"  
  
Kenshin smiled. Her care and concern for every living being, no matter how evil, never ceased to amaze him. She definately had a heart of gold. And he loved her for it.  
  
"I guess you're right, that you are." He said, looking at her lovingly. He softly caressed her cheek with a finger.  
  
Kaoru smiled. His soft touch was sending shivers down her spine.  
  
"Kaoru... Ai-" He was interrupted by a shout from the pool.  
  
"Hey, Kaoru! Come on in, the water's fine!" Misao was saying.  
  
Kaoru smiled. "Okay, I'll be right there!"  
  
Kenshin sighed and watched as Kaoru took off her beach cabana. His eyes grew to the size of plates as he blushed and managed a muffled "Oro..."  
  
She was beautiful. She had a perfect body. Long shapely legs, a thin stomach with a slight indication of a six pack, and well rounded breasts. He finally tore his gaze away and took his shirt off.  
  
Kaoru's mouth almost dropped open. Kenshin was perfect! He had well chiseled arms, a built chest, and very defined six pack. His legs were also very muscular. She blushed and walked with him to the pool. They both got in and joined in the fun.  
  
"Hey! Sanosuke stop splashing!" Megumi screeched.  
  
Sanosuke grinned and splashed her more.  
  
"Hey! Cut it out!"  
  
Misao was busy dunking Aoshi underwater. She was finding it very amusing. Aoshi, on the other hand, was trying to yell underwater, but only succeeded in creating a lot of air bubbles and making sounds that could only be heard underwater.  
  
Kaoru smiled and relaxed in a corner of the pool. She hoped she did the right thing by telling Tougi. Maybe he would send them all back to America because he didn't get what he wanted. Either that or he would try again... Kaoru rolled her eyes and sweatdropped. She'd just have to drill it into his brain that she simply wasn't interested. And she would never marry a man she couldn't love. She felt something grab her leg. She screamed and kicked what ever it was. The others stopped what they were doing.  
  
Kenshin floated to the surface, eyes swirling, mouth open, and a red bump on his forehead.  
  
"KENSHIN NO BAKA!" Kaoru yelled, chasing him around the pool. He had to swim as fast as he could just to keep a few feet in front of her.  
  
Every one else went back to what they were doing. About an hour later, every one got tired and got out of the pool, heading for their rooms.  
  
Misao had just changed into her night clothes when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in." She said, taking her hair out of her normal braid and brushing it.  
  
"Misao?" Aoshi's head peeked into her room. The rest of him followed.  
  
"Yes?" She asked.  
  
Aoshi's face turned a light shade of pink, catching her in her night garnments. She wore a periwinkle (AN: A shade of blue) tank top with pink hearts and white bunnies, and matching pants. She was adorable! He looked up into her eyes.  
  
"Can I ask you a question?" He asked.  
  
"You just did." She said, giggling. "Sure, anything."  
  
"I'm under the impression that you and Kaoru have seen that Seija guy before. My question is where."  
  
Misao seemed to drop the cheery act. "He was with the thugs that day... Kaoru had seen him even before that, although I don't know when. They said some stuff to eachother, and then he just walked away."  
  
"What did they say?"  
  
"Well, all I remember is Kaoru saying he tricked her. Then she got mad and said she came by accident, and not to see him. He looked kind of put out and told her he was sorry that's how she felt. Then he left."  
  
"Hmmm..." Aoshi thought about all the possible scenarios that they could have met in prior to the Chicago incident. "Okay, that's all."  
  
Misao nodded and waved as he walked out. "Goodnight!" She called.  
  
"Goodnight." He returned and closed the door behind him.  
  
Once she was sure he had returned to his room, she snuck into Kaoru's room.  
  
"Kaoru?" She asked.  
  
"Yes Misao?"  
  
"I just came to visit." She said with a smile.  
  
"Oh. Well come in and sit down." Misao followed her instructions.  
  
"Kaoru, when did you meet Seija? I mean, before Chicago."  
  
"Well... It was when we were shopping earlier that day. He bumped into me and knocked me down. Then he helped me up and said he was sorry. His sister came looking for him, so he gave me that address and left. Like I told him, we wound up there by accident."  
  
"Oh." Misao sighed and looked around Kaoru's room. "I wish Aoshi had feelings for me."  
  
"What makes you think he doesn't?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"He just... he just doesn't want to open up to me. I mean, I know he doesn't show emotion often, but he's getting better now. And still no sign of any interest in me whatsoever."  
  
"I'm sure he likes you Misao. He just needs time to sort out his feelings. After all, these emotions are new to him, and he might not know how to deal with them." Kaoru said, giving the smaller girl's shoulders a light squeeze.  
  
Misao smiled. "You're right Kaoru. I'll give him time. I'd wait forever for him to love me."  
  
Kaoru returned the smile. "I know how that is."  
  
Misao giggled. "Good night Kaoru."  
  
"Good night Misao." Kaoru sighed as soon as she heard the door shut. Suddenly she had a headache. She turned off her lamp and crawled under the covers of her bed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~  
  
Howdy! I tried to make this chapter longer since I'm going to be gone for a while. It's not enough to last you until I get back, I know, but I need to go to bed. I need sleep for tomorrow.  
  
Japanese  
  
"Kenshin no baka" - Basically "Kenshin you idiot!" Or "Stupid Kenshin!"  
  
donna8157 - I'm glad you found the Aoshi scene humorous. ^.^ That is, after all, how I intended it to be. It was funny while I was imagining it, so I put it in. I love K/K waff too. It's my favorite kind. Tee hee... You could probably tell. But there will be some A/M waff, and also some S/M waff. It's just that Megumi and Sano are too stubborn to admit they like eachother, so it naturally takes longer. And poor Aoshi is probably overwhelmed with all these emotions that he needs time. I'm glad you like the story. ^.~ And shucks, I'm not really that good ^-^'' thanks for reading!  
  
CurlsofSerenity - Lol! Yes, Kenshin has finally come to terms with his love for Kaoru. ^.^ So he will be doing quite a few cute and romantic things from here on out. This chapter didn't have as much. I was kinda out of it while I was writing. ^-^' But yeah... I wonder what Tougi is scheming this time...  
  
EVERY ONE - May I just take this time to say that the weather man is insane! He's sitting here, telling his life story! "Back in blah blah blah, I had a roommate named Bruce... Hi bruce! Yaddah yaddah yaddah." What the!? "At least you won't have to run around the house in your underwear, it'll be nice and cool..." This weather man is truely insane! o.O  
  
marstanuki - lol! Cho chang... It's been so long that I forgot who she was... I vaguely remember, but not much. ^.^ Guess I'll have to refresh my memory. ^.~ Thanks for reading!  
  
Aku-Kitsune - Thank you ^.^ Glad you liked it! Is this soon enough? ^_^  
  
Aislinn - Yay! I'm glad you liked it! I'll try to throw in some more Megumi and Sano scenes, just for you. ^.^ Just as soon as I get back home ^_^" Hope you keep reading!  
  
Well, I'm off to Michigan! Until the next chapter! Ja!  
  
~Seien 


	8. Confusing Oros and dancing

AHHHH! *Clutches her hair and runs in with a half-crazed expression on her face* So many demands! So little time! Must write more! More K/K fluff! More fighting scenes! More Aoshi! More chapters! *Falls onto the ground* I think I need to see a doctor. Well, I'm back. Michigan was really fun! I ran over my leg with a three-wheeler. Yup. But I'm okay. ^-^' Yeah, and then I got sunburnt while I was working today. It was not a good thing. But I'm home now, and that's what's important. I miss Squeakers!!! *Cries histerically* Long story... -.- Okay, well, I'll try to please all of you who are requesting more of a certain thing. I'll TRY. ^-^' Okay, on with the story!  
  
By the way, I have a movie recommendation. ^.^ The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Very good! If you haven't seen it already, go see it! It's pretty much action, I think... But yes... It has hot guys in it, so... Tee hee... Finding Nemo was good too.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters from it. But today is my birthday, and I asked my mom to buy it for me, so we shall see..  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~  
  
Kaoru yawned, looking around her. Nice cars were lined up in neat rows, waiting for people to take a look at them.  
  
"I like this one..." Said Sanosuke, surveying a red corvette.  
  
"This one is cool!" Said Misao, who was pointing at a blue VW bug.  
  
Kaoru was looking at a Mustang.  
  
"We're only getting two, so make your choices." Tougi said from the sidelines.  
  
"This one is a must." Sanosuke said.  
  
"Why don't we get this?" Asked Megumi, motioning to an Eclipse. Every one agreed, and soon they were driving towards the mall, Tougi in the limo, Sanosuke and Megumi in the Corvette, and the other four in the Eclipse.  
  
"Sano slow down!" Megumi was repeating the same phrase over and over.  
  
Sanosuke just grinned and put the petal to the medal.  
  
"SANO!" She yelled.''  
  
"Oh come on. I'm a safe driver!" He said, winking in her direction as he cut a close corner.  
  
"Hmph."  
  
****Meanwhile...****  
  
"Aoshi-sama is a good driver." Misao chirped happily from the front passenger seat.  
  
Aoshi almost smiled, but held himself in check.  
  
"Um... Yeah..." Kaoru said, watching as Aoshi cut infront of some one else.  
  
"She said a good driver, not a safe driver...." Kenshin mumbled.  
  
"I heard that." Aoshi said, throwing Kenshin a dirty look in the rear-view mirror.  
  
They came to a stop light, and pulled up beside Sano and Megumi. Sano rolled down his window and motioned for Aoshi to do the same. Aoshi did.  
  
"Hey!" Sano called. "I bet I could beat you in a race, you old turtle!"  
  
Aoshi was successfully provoked. "You're on!" He yelled, rolling up the window.  
  
"Oro!" Kenshin and Kaoru clung to eachother.  
  
The light turned green and Aoshi immediately pushed the gas pedal as far as it would go. In the other car, Sano did the same, and they were off. Luckily, there weren't any cars on the road at this particular time of day, which is a rare occasion in the chicagoland area. (AN: How? I dunno, but I dun want any innocents to get hurt... o.-)  
  
"SANO!" Megumi screamed.  
  
"Relax! There's no one on the streets anyway." He said, keeping a watchful eye on Aoshi, who was still right beside him.  
  
Aoshi wouldn't back down. He kept at the same speed as Sanosuke. Then again, it was most difficult for one to pass another because they were both going at the highest possible speed. Neither one seemed to notice the white car with blue and red lights on the top up ahead.  
  
In a hot second the police was after a red corvette.  
  
"Sano, what's that?" Asked Megumi.  
  
"What's what?"  
  
"That sound..."  
  
Sanosuke looked in the mirror.  
  
"What the...." He slowed down, and finally came to a stop on the side of the road.  
  
A man with a black uniform got out of the car and walked over to Sanosuke's window.  
  
"I have an idea." Sanosuke said to Megumi before rolling down the window.  
  
"Sir, do you have any idea how fast you were going?" He asked sarcastically as he leaned against the car.  
  
Sanosuke looked at Megumi in a puzzled fashion.  
  
"Konnichiwa! O genki desu ka?" Sanosuke greeted him.  
  
"Foreigners, eh? Don't speak English?"  
  
Sano looked at Megumi again.  
  
"I speak little." Megumi said in broken English.  
  
"Did you know you were speeding?" Asked the officer.  
  
"Speeding?" Megumi asked, a bewildered look crossing her face.  
  
"Yes. Going too fast." The officer said.  
  
"That not speed?" Asked Megumi, pointing to a sign that said 290.  
  
"No, that's the highway that you're on." The officer said.  
  
"Oh. We not know." Megumi said.  
  
"Well, I'll let you off easy this time, but make sure you don't do it again." He then pointed to a sigh that said 55.  
  
"That's the speed limit." He said, then stalked away. He started his car and drove off.  
  
"That was great fox!" Sano said, doubling over with laughter.  
  
"I know." She said, flahing him a mishchevious smile. They then had to go the rest of the way to the mall at about 70 mph, figuring if a cop pulled them over, they'd pull the same trick.  
  
When they got there, they found the others sitting on their Eclipse (AN: yes, on.), waiting.  
  
"I'm the turtle?" Aoshi said with a smirk.  
  
Sanosuke growled. "If it weren't for that stupid police officer, I would have beat you."  
  
"Yeah... Sure..."  
  
They all headed inside.  
  
"Wow, there's a lot of people." Misao said, looking around.  
  
Tougi waited until Kaoru lagged behind a bit to ask, "Hey Kaoru, I know this really cool store, you want to go with me?"  
  
"No thanks Tougi." Kaoru said. "I was going to go with Misao and Megumi to find 'girly' stuff. You probably wouldn't want to come with us either." She said, dropping an obvious hint for him to get lost.  
  
"Oh. Alright then." He muttered as he went off in his own direction.  
  
"Let's go!" Misao said, grabbing Megumi and Kaoru and heading for a store.  
  
"Excuse me girls." Said a masculine voice. They turned around.  
  
"Yes?" Megumi asked.  
  
"I couldn't help noticing that you girls are three of the most beautiful women I've ever seen!" This comment earned a blush from all three. "Would you like to try out for modeling?"  
  
"Modeling?! Us!?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Yes, of course! I own my own magazine for teenage fashion. Would you be interested?"  
  
"Well... What would we have to do to try out?" Asked Misao.  
  
"Just a small photo shoot to see how natural you are in front of the camera, that's all." He said, smiling.  
  
"When and where do we go?" Megumi questioned.  
  
"Be there at 10 AM tomorrow morning, and I'll write down the address." He said, taking a piece of paper out of his pocket and a pen from his jacket's lapel.  
  
"Wow..." Kaoru said to Megumi and Misao.  
  
"Here." The man said, handing them the address. "Hope to see you ladies there!" He winked.  
  
"This is so cool!" Said Kaoru, sticking the paper in her pocket. "The guys will be so surprised."  
  
Misao nodded and looked around for the guys. "I guess we kinda left them in the dust."  
  
"Don't you mean... YOU kinda left them in the dust?" Teased Megumi.  
  
"Eh heh heh..." Misao sweatdropped.  
  
"Hey look! Ice cream!" Kaoru said dragging the other two over to the Dippin' Dots booth.  
  
***************  
  
"Hey, where'd the girls go?" Sanosuke asked, looking around.  
  
"That's a good question, that it is." Kenshin said, also searching for the three Japanese beauties.  
  
Aoshi rolled his eyes, and something grabbed his attention. A guy was walking towards them, pulling something out of a pocket in his inner jacket. A gun! In an instant, both kodachis were unsheathed and pointing at the guy's throat.  
  
"Uh... Hey hey... Cool down buddy! I just wanted to give you something!" The man stuttered.  
  
"What!?" Aoshi hissed sarcastically. "A bullet through the chest?!"  
  
"No no! Just an invite!" The man reassured him.  
  
Aoshi regarded him for a moment, wondering whether to believe him or not.  
  
"Aoshi, I think you should let him go." Kenshin advised.  
  
He did as he was told.  
  
"Here." Said the man, giving him a slip of paper.  
  
"What kind of invite!?" Said Aoshi as the man scampered away.  
  
Kenshin took a peek at the paper. "ORO!?" He said, falling over.  
  
Sano's eyes scanned the paper Aoshi was holding as well.  
  
"Hey, they have good taste." He said, striking a pose.  
  
"Modeling isn't my style." Aoshi said.  
  
"Oh you're coming anyway." Sano said, slapping him on the back.  
  
"Don't touch me."  
  
************  
  
"Hey look! There are the others!" Kaoru pointed out. "Hey Ken-mphm."  
  
"Maybe it's not such a good idea to tell them about the modeling." Megumi said, removing her hand from over Kaoru's mouth.  
  
"Well... okay."  
  
***********  
  
Kenshin turned around when his name was called. Or, at least half of it. "Hey, there's Kaoru-dono and the others!"  
  
"Hey, let's go tell them!" Sanosuke said, jumping forward. He found it strange that he wasn't going anywhere.  
  
"If you want me to come, you can not tell them about it." Aoshi said, then released the back of Sano's shirt. "Aww... Strong, silent Aoshi is embarrassed!"  
  
Sanosuke was silenced by a kodachi positioned at his throat.  
  
"Ok ok! Fine..."  
  
**********  
  
The rest of the day went pretty well, considering Sano didn't spill any thing, and therefore Aoshi felt no need to kill him.  
  
They finished at the mall (after the girls each bought ten new outfits) and headed back to the mansion. Well... They took a small detour first.  
  
"A pet shop!" Misao squealed.  
  
"Can we stop!? Please please please please - " Kaoru joined in the excitement.  
  
"Ok ok!" Aoshi said pulling over. "But we're not getting ANYTHING."  
  
Twenty minutes later, all four emerged from the shop, a small bundle of gray and white fur securely in Kaoru's arms.  
  
"Isn't it so cute Kenshin!?" Asked a bubbly Misao.  
  
"How do I let myself be talked into these things.." Aoshi muttered to himself.  
  
As if she heard him, Misao shot him a heart-warming smile.  
  
"Oh. That's how." He said inaudibly. He watched her face for a minute as she played with the new Husky puppy.  
  
So beautiful and innocent... For once he didn't reprimand himself for thinking in such a manner. Why hide his feelings any more? He had tried and tried to push them away, but they wouldn't go away. They never would. He would have these feelings forever. Maybe it was time to start showing them to her. Yes. It was time to show her everything he could be - for her. It was time to show her that her waiting for him had paid off. To respond to her open and carefree love. Yes. It was time.  
  
Her eyes met his in a clash of blues. From somewhere deep within, he mustered up a smile - just for her.  
  
Misao was quite taken aback. This was a day to mark down on the calendar! The day her Aoshi-sama smiled at her! She smiled back, her love for him showing clearly in her eyes. Maybe he did have feelings for her after all... Maybe Kaoru was right after all.  
  
Kaoru grinned as she noticed the two off in their own little world.  
  
"So what should we name him?" She asked Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin thought for a minute. "I don't know."  
  
"How about Oro?" Kaoru laughed. The little husky barked. "You like that name, huh? Ok, Oro it is!"  
  
"Oro!!" Kenshin said.  
  
"See? You've gotten used to it's new name already!"  
  
"Ororororororo!"  
  
************  
  
They got back to the mansion, and they all crowded in Misao's room to show Megumi and Sano the new addition to the Kenshin-gumi.  
  
"So what's it's name?" Asked Sano.  
  
"His name is Oro." Misao said, hugging the little puppy. Oro wagged his tail, glad for the attention.  
  
Megumi giggled. "Don't tell me Kenshin named it!"  
  
"Well, in a way he did. After all, it is his phrase, I just came up with the idea for the name." Kaoru said, gently poking Kenshin in the stomach.  
  
"Oro!" The little husky came bounding over to him and licked his face.  
  
"Orororo!"  
  
"He knows his name!" Misao squealed.  
  
"What's going on?" Asked a voice from the door way.  
  
Every one turned to see Tougi leaning against the door frame.  
  
"We got a puppy." Said Kaoru, holding up Oro for him to see.  
  
"I don't care much for dogs." He said coldly.  
  
"Don't worry, we'll take it back to Japan with us." Sano snapped.  
  
"Hmph. Very well then." He said as he walked out.  
  
"He's such a stick in the mud." Misao fumed.  
  
Kaoru waved it off. "Don't worry, he'll get over it."  
  
Soon every one departed for their own rooms.  
  
****************  
  
It was later in the after noon that Kenshin heard a knock on his door.  
  
"Come in." He said politely.  
  
The door opened and Kaoru peeked in.  
  
"Hey Kenshin, I'm going to take Oro for a walk, you want to come?" She asked.  
  
"Sure. I'd be happy to, that I would." He said, standing and walking out the door with her. They put Oro on a leash and walked to a nice park area.  
  
Kaoru looked around at all the green trees, lush grass, and beautiful flowers sharing their sweet scent with the world. It was a really nice day. It wasn't too hot, and it wasn't too cold either. There was a nice breeze breaking the stillness of the day.  
  
Kenshin smiled, also noting these things. He slipped a thin but muscular arm around Kaoru's waist.  
  
Kaoru blushed and looked at him. He was smiling at her. She smiled back and then turned her attention to Oro, who had pulled the leash taut in his frenzy to go faster.  
  
"He's cute." She said, smiling at the little puppy.  
  
"Hai." Kenshin replied, also looking at the husky. He breathed in deeply the scent of cool, crisp air, and then heaved a sigh.  
  
"Is something the matter, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"No. Nothing is wrong, Kaoru." He said pulling her closer. She giggled.  
  
"You're so cute." She said, kissing his nose.  
  
"Oro!" Kenshin blushed. Oro barked.  
  
Kaoru smiled and sat down on a nearby bench. Kenshin followed and sat down also.  
  
She smiled and snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.  
  
"Kirei..." Kenshin murmured, playing with her soft raven locks.  
  
A gentle breeze sifted through her hair, causing it to float about her and tickle his nose. He resisted the urge to sneeze and smiled down at her.  
  
"You're so beautiful Kaoru...."  
  
Kaoru looked up at him. "You really think so?"  
  
"I know so." He said, planting a kiss on her forehead. She smiled and leaned forward, bringing their faces inches apart. Kenshin closed the remaining distance and their lips met in a passionate kiss, triggering the all-too-familiar spine-tingling sensation.  
  
Kenshin broke off the kiss. "Kaoru... I have something to tell you." He whispered, softly caressing her cheek.  
  
"Y-yes?" She asked. Was this it? Was Kenshin finally going to tell her what she'd been waiting to hear for so long? Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, feeling as if it were about to jump out at any second.  
  
"Ai-"  
  
"ARF ARF! GRRRRR!"  
  
Kaoru was snapped out of her dreamy state of mind back into the real world, as was Kenshin.  
  
"ORO!" Kenshin said, falling over.  
  
The little home wrecker turned back to look at the fallen swirly-eyed red head.  
  
"Arf! Grrr!"  
  
"What is it Oro?" Asked Kaoru, looking around. Then she spotted it. And sweatdropped.  
  
"It's only a squirrel..." She said. She sighed. The romantic moment was ruined. She got up off the bench and picked up the fallen Kenshin, and they continued their walk.  
  
**********  
  
Kenshin and Kaoru returned by the time it was getting dark, and were met with two worried pairs of eyes, one sly smiling pair, and one pair that showed nothing at all.  
  
"We were worried!" Exclaimed Megumi, rushing forward.  
  
Kaoru blinked. "Oh... Well, it's nice to know you were worried about us, but we're fine."  
  
"Not you!" Said Megumi, rolling her eyes. "The dog!"  
  
"Oro!" Kenshin and Kaoru said in unison.  
  
Oro barked.  
  
"Well I was worried about you." Misao stated, watching Megumi pick up Oro with a sweatdrop.  
  
"Kenshin, you sly dog! Just what were you doing out there in the park, eh?" Said Sano, jabbing him in the ribs.  
  
Kenshin blushed just as a bokken connected with the back of Sano's head.  
  
"Hey, let's all go dancing tonight! Tougi gave us directions to the most popular place in town!" Misao said excitedly.  
  
"Sounds good." Kaoru said.  
  
"Does any one have advil? I have a splitting headache.." Said a voice from the ground.  
  
**********  
  
"We're here!" Misao exclaimed, jumping out of the Mitsubishi. She could already hear the loud music the building was emitting.  
  
Every one else scrambled out as well. They all headed in. The dance floor was pretty full, but not really that crowded. People sat at the bar, drinking, chatting, and having a good time.  
  
"Let's dance!" Misao said, literally dragging Aoshi onto the floor. Aoshi sent back a look that had 'help me' written all over it.  
  
Kaoru followed, leading Kenshin out to the floor also.  
  
Sanosuke looked at Megumi. "Well. I guess it's just us." He said with a sheepish grin.  
  
Megumi nodded and they made their way to the floor as well.  
  
Misao was surprised. She had no idea Aoshi could dance. Nonetheless, he was moving to the beat with grace, style, and rhythm. Of course she didn't know, but Aoshi had compared it to fighting with his kodachis, and was surprised to find a dance that he could actually do.  
  
Kenshin was also holding his own. He was actually really good. Kaoru was obviously impressed, thinking that the ex-battousai wouldn't have needed to learn the skills to dance with his previous job. But he must have somewhere along the line.  
  
Megumi and Sanosuke were both experienced dancers, so they went all out and put everything on the line as they danced to the fast paced techno music.  
  
(AN: Sorry if I didn't describe it well enough, I've never been dancing, so I dunno what it's like. ^.^)  
  
************  
  
Misao and Aoshi stumbled off the floor, exhausted from dancing.  
  
"Do you want something to drink?" Aoshi asked.  
  
"Yeah, just a coke." She said with a smile.  
  
He nodded and went to get it. Misao collapsed in a chair.  
  
"Hey babe. Wanna dance?" Asked a gruff but handsome looking guy.  
  
"No thanks. I'm waiting for my... er.... friend to get back." She said, looking away towards the bar.  
  
"Oh come on. One dance ain't gonna hurt ya."  
  
"No, I don't want to dance." She said, this time a little more forcefully.  
  
The guy grabbed her arm and yanked her out of her seat.  
  
"Fine. If you won't dance here, we'll have to dance back at my apartment!" He said, roughly pulled her along. She pulled out her kunai and slashed his arm. He growled in pain, but held on to her, taking the kunai from her and discarding them in the trash.  
  
"AOSHI!" Misao screamed, but the music was too loud for him to hear. She was dragged kicking and screaming to the exit.  
  
Aoshi came back with a coke in hand, but Misao wasn't where he had left her. He looked around frantically. He sighed. Just then, something shiny caught his eye. A kunai was sticking into the trash can. He ran to the trash can and saw more inside. He threw the drinks in and took off towards the door.  
  
*******  
  
Megumi and Sano were having such a good time, that the minutes ticked by at light speed. However, in the middle of a dance, they were seperated by the wild crowd. Sano looked around, realizing he had lost Megumi. He sighed and went to look for her. A girl stopped him by grabbing onto his arm.  
  
"Hey, let's dance!" She said.  
  
"I can't, I'm looking for some one." He said, rudely tearing his arm away from her and continuing his search.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
"Hey sugar, good thing I brought my library card, 'cause I'm checkin' you out!" Said a guy in his early twenties.  
  
"Oh please. That's such a cheesy pick up line." Megumi said, rolling her eyes and turning to walk away.  
  
"Hey, come on honey, I'll show you how to dance for real." He said, blocking her pathway.  
  
"Not interested." She said, flipping her hair over her shoulders arrogantly and walking the other way.  
  
"Oh come on!" He said, following.  
  
"The lady said she didn't want to dance with you, I suggest you take a hint and leave her alone." Said a voice from behind them.  
  
The guy looked back to see a tall, lean teenager with brown spiky hair.  
  
"Hey, chill out man, is this your chick? I didn't know." He said, slinking back into the crowd.  
  
"Thanks rooster head, I owe you one." Megumi said with a smile.  
  
"No problem kitsune. I only wish he would have protested so I could beat the cra-"  
  
"Sano!" She said, rolling her eyes. "Shut up and let's dance." She said.  
  
"Erm... ok..."  
  
**********  
  
Misao bit her captor's hand as hard as she could. He didn't even seem to feel it. They were outside now, making their way out of the alley.  
  
"Let me go you hentai!" She yelled, kicking him with all the strength she could muster.  
  
He was unaffected. This guy was like a solid rock!  
  
"AOSHI!" She screamed once again.  
  
"Yes?" Answered a cold voice, a hint of softness to it.  
  
The man turned around to meet the paralyzing gaze of ice blue eyes.  
  
"Get away from her." Aoshi commanded.  
  
"Give me one good reason." Said the guy, clinging to her more tightly.  
  
"You know what, I will. I'll give you two good reasons." Said Aoshi, unsheathing his two kodachi.  
  
"Hmph. You don't scare me. I'm going to beat you and take this delightful little morsel back to my apartment and have my way with her. And there's no way you can stop me, because I always get what I want! This one's too sexy to pass up." He said, a sly smile firmly in place. He then lowered his head and roughly kissed her neck a few times.  
  
Misao squealed uncomfortably and struggled. This sent Aoshi into a blind rage. He charged and lunged for the man.  
  
"No one dares even touch MY Misao, much less treat her like that!" He said, plunging both of his kodachi into either of the man's shoulders. The man's eyes opened wide in surprise. Misao watched in awe as he pulled out his kodachi. The man immediately let her go and fell back to the ground.  
  
Aoshi pulled Misao close to him. He could feel her trembling. He called out a not so empty threat in attempts to make her feel safer.  
  
"The next time you touch her I'll cut whatever part you touched her with completely off. That's a promise." He said in a low growl.  
  
And with that he picked her up and carried her to the Corvette, unlocking the door and placing her in the passenger seat. He got into the driver's seat and drove off.  
  
*********  
  
"Hey guys, have you seen Aoshi and Misao?" Kaoru asked as she and Kenshin approached the other two.  
  
"No, not since we started dancing." Admitted Megumi.  
  
"I'll check and see if they're outside." Kaoru said, wandering outside. She gasped at the sight that met her eyes.  
  
A man was standing in the shadows, but as he stepped into the light she saw that both of his shoulders were covered in blood, and there were two identical stab wounds on both of them.  
  
"Aoshi." She said.  
  
"Well well, what have we here? At least I'll get one play thing tonight!" Said the man, lunging at her.  
  
Kaoru gasped and stepped back, surprised. In a second the man was thrown back to the ground, and Kenshin stood infront of her with his sakabatou.  
  
"Are you alright Kaoru-dono?" He asked, amber eyes blazing with hatred for the man that dared call Kaoru a 'play thing'.  
  
"Y-yes..." She stammered. It wasn't the man that had unnerved her, it was Kenshin taking up the honorific again. 'Kaoru-dono'. Did she do something wrong? Did he not care for her any more? Did he ever care for her? Actually... She hadn't heard him tell her he loved her once. Not once. Realization hit Kaoru like a blow from a sword. It had just been a fling, hadn't it... Her thoughts were confirmed when she remembered what had occurred earlier that night...  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"Kenshin?" Kaoru called over the noise of the music. She had gone to the bathroom, and now she couldn't find him.  
  
"Kenshin where are you?" She froze when she saw him dancing with a blonde American girl. The girl, upon seeing Kaoru, grinned evilly and shared a heated kiss with Kenshin. Kaoru couldn't stand it. She turned and fled.  
  
*End of flashback*  
  
She looked away, her bangs covering her pained eyes. She had trusted him... She gave him everything! And he betrayed her trust. He played with her! That man was right... She was just a play thing for guys to fool around with. She had thought Kenshin was different, but she had been wrong. She turned and walked away from the scene, images from her past flashing through her mind. A limo pulled into the parking lot and Tougi got out.  
  
"Need a ride, Kaoru?" He asked, holding the door open. She nodded and got in.  
  
Kenshin growled as he watched the limo take off. Megumi and Sano joined him, asking where Kaoru had went.  
  
"Home." He had replied, walking to the Mitsubishi.  
  
*********  
  
"Kaoru, I saw what happened." Tougi said, pulling her close.  
  
"I thought he was different." She said, her voice full of pain and venom.  
  
"He's no different Kaoru. I knew that from the beginning. I wanted to protect you, but you wouldn't let me..." He said, kissing her forehead gently. She didn't notice the small trace of alchohol in his breath.  
  
"Let's go to my room." He said, pulling her out of the car and through the mansion to his room. He slammed the door shut.  
  
*********  
  
"Aoshi..." Misao started. She couldn't hold it back any longer. Hot tears came tumbling out of her sky blue eyes. "I'm so sorry!" She cried.  
  
Aoshi's heart tore with each tear that fell from her beautiful eyes.  
  
"Shhh..." He said, taking her into his arms as he walked up to his room with her. When they got in, he sat her down on the bed, and leaned down a bit, gently pulling her chin up. Her wide blue eyes showed surprise.  
  
"It's ok, my beautiful Misao." He said soothingly. "I was such a fool before not to tell you. It's not your fault Misao. It's ok to have to be saved sometimes. Even I'm not stronger than everyone." He said with a warm smile.  
  
"Aoshi..." Misao said, "You smiled..."  
  
"Only for you, my dear Misao. Only for you." He said, leaning down more. Their lips connected and sparks flew for both of them. Misao was shocked to the core. She had waited so long for this! And it was finally happening! Her Aoshi-sama was kissing her. She closed her eyes, and set all of her pent up passion free.  
  
Aoshi smiled into the kiss, and returned her passion ten fold. It was like heaven. He could already tell he would be doing this often. He finally let all of his trapped emotions free, and they flowed like milk and honey into the kiss.  
  
They broke apart only for air.  
  
"Aoshi..." Misao said softly, quite surprised.  
  
"Misao.... How can you ever forgive me? I was so stupid! I didn't want to realize...I tried to hold it back.... But I couldn't get rid of this feeling... Misao, I love you!" He said, taking off his mask of calm, cool, and collected Aoshi. Sincerity shone in his eyes as he made his honest confession.  
  
"I've waited so long for you to say those words..." Misao's voice trailed off.  
  
"I know my love, and now I'm going to make your dreams come true. I'm going to make it all worth your while." He said, hugging her fiercly.  
  
"I love you so much Aoshi!" Misao cried into his shirt.  
  
"I love you too, koiishi." He said, gently kissing her again. "I love you too."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~  
  
What's going to happen to Kaoru? Will Kenshin ever get to tell her how he feels? What's this? Kenshin's innocent! Ahh! Tune in for the next chapter for all the answers. MUAHAHAHA. Ahh! Gomen minna-san! I'm sooo sorry it took so long, but I was having major writers block! Not to mention I was really busy. And ironic that I'm busy on every other day than my birthday... -.- But anyway... I'm going to be home for two weeks until school, so I'll try to write a lot! Yup. So yeah. I'll try to have the next chapter out soon.  
  
Zaeger - Lol. Some one hasn't been reading the author notes! In the first chapter before the story, I mentioned that this fanfic is set in modern times. ^.^ And thanks. I'm glad you like it. ^.^ Hope ya keep reading!  
  
Curls of Serenity - Lol. Kaoru is such a kind hearted person she wanted to try and help him. And she figures it's rude to leave before the set time, and things haven't gotten too out of hand yet, so they figured they'd stay. lol. ^.^ Thanks for reading!  
  
Kyia Star - Lol... Yes, I do remember the honey, but I know I'd rather wake up to whip cream than honey. lol. Not to mention, the honey was a war thing. I got the whip cream from 'The Mighty Ducks 2". Where they were just playing a harmless prank. Although I'm not really sure whether it was whipped cream or shaving cream, but at least you can eat whipped cream. ^.^ Yeah, but Aoshi hasn't gotten in touch with his prankster side yet... Maybe that will come along later... Muahahaha....  
  
Aislinn - Thanks. ^.^ Glad you liked it! Hope ya keep reading!  
  
Princess of Darkness and me - Was this romance good? ^.^ Gomen, I'm gradually adding up to more and more romance. I'm trying my beset. ^.^ Hope ya keep reading.  
  
Hypo/Peachy - Yup. I did. ^.^ Thanks, I tried to put in a lot of variety so people wouldn't get bored of the same places. ^-^' I actually did have fun in Michigan. ^.^ Thanks for reading!  
  
kungfool - To answer your question, the others didn't help Kaoru (A) Because they were too shocked over Kenshin just running, and (B) Seija had a knife to her throat, and at any sudden movement, he would have not hesitated to kill her. ^-^' Or at least, that's what he had them thinking. If he had harmed her, Tougi would have killed him. lol. And what makes you think Seija is a normal person? He could be faster than Aoshi... ^.~ I'm sorry you don't like the fact that it's modern, but I figured I could have them in more interesting events, so I figured, why not make it modern?  
  
Lilfrozenfire - Lol! yes, Tougi is a jerk. ^.^ Rest assured, there are a lot of K/K moments coming up. ^.^ And perhaps Tougi shall meet the Battousai... MUAHAHAHA... lol ^.~ Thanks for reading!  
  
donna8157 - Yup. Kenshin was going to profess his love, not only at the pool, but also on the balcony. And now also at the park. lol. He keeps trying to say "Aishiteru." Poor Kenshin. He always gets interrupted. ^.^' You shall see what Tougi is planning shortly.. ^-^' Actually, I don't think he planned to get drunk, but hey... Oops... Did I just give something away? ^.~ I did have a good trip, thanks! Hope ya keep reading!  
  
marstanuki - Yup. That's exactly what I'm putting into action. Making Kenshin more jealous... Tee hee... There will be a lot of that in the next chapter! Thanks for reading!  
  
Jen - Yes, he's VERY obsessive. It would make me feel confident if some one actually was obsessive, but it would annoy the heck outta me at the same time, especially if I had some one like Kenshin. *drools* But yeah, he's weird. Sorry I continued this so late. I meant to continue earlier, I swear! ^.^ Thanks for reading!  
  
hell - Now why does that sound familiar? ^.~ Heh heh.... Yeah well, thanks for reading!  
  
Shizuka3 - Thanks ^.^ I'm glad you like it so much! It makes me really happy to see people really enjoyed the story. I'll try to add more K/K scenes ^.^ Thanks for reading!  
  
ShilviGrl/Amyjenc1 - Yes, I thought of that myself. Either he's too stupid, or too lazy to just spend time with her. He actually tried this time though. lol. ^.^ Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Akayia - lol. I'll try to have Misao and Kaoru kick his butt. ^.^ Thanks for reading!  
  
akuweaselgirl - Thanks. ^.^ I'm happy that you like it. I'll try to have more Aoshi scenes. lol.  
  
ran-chan - lol. Sorry it took so long. ^.^ But I hope you liked it!  
  
AnimeDude2 - Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. I'll try to throw in some more fighting scenes, even though I'm not the best at them ^.^ Thanks for reading!  
  
Okay, well, I'll see you all in the next chapter. Ja!  
  
~Seien 


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